Where I Belong
by DarkChao1663
Summary: The Puzzle grants Yami's wish and gives him his own body. If Yugi and everyone else is thrilled why does Yami feel so empty?
1. What the Heart Sometimes Wants

Chao- Yay! A reverse of a cliché idea!

YChao- You mean where Yami gets his own body and everyone leaves Yugi for him?

Chao- Those are overrated!

YChao- But they have Yugi angst!

Chao- Yeah, but Chao doesn't think Yugi's friends would ever leave Yugi's side. They've been friends before they "knew" about Yami and they are most likely friends long after.

**Disclaimer: DarkChao1663 does not **_**Yu-Gi-Oh!**_

**Summary: The Puzzle grants Yami's wish and gives him his own body. If Yugi and everyone else is thrilled why does Yami feel so empty?**

**Warnings: None**

**Pairings: None**

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi's mind link./

**Chapter 1: What the Heart Sometimes Wants**

"You know what they say: Be careful with what you wish for."

"Why?"

"It might come true!"

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"But your wish may turn on you in ways you didn't expect!"

"How silly! If the wish comes true then everything should be for the best, right?"

"Not everything is what it seems."

"Nice job Miss Gardner and Mr. Mutou," applaud a tall man with short brown hair, who wore a brown suit.

A small student with tri-color blushed while the other teen girl with ocean blue eyes smiled with pride as the class they stood in front of cheered them on. The two students took their seats as the lectured continued.

"And that was a tiny piece written by a Japanese play writer taking the Western idea of how one should be careful about the wishes one makes." explained the teacher, "A wish could be taken literally and change it into something uneventful with dire consequences."

Just then, the school bell rang and the lesson was over as well as the day. After everyone gathered their belongings, the group met outside of the school's large entrance.

"Nice acting Yug!" Joey laughed as the clique walked out of the building.

"You and Tea were great!" Tristan added.

"Maybe you and Tea could work _close _together for an acting career," Joey snickered as he pulled his buddy aside. Yugi could feel his face grow red. He did his best to cover his embarrassed features away from his childhood friend.

"That was an interesting idea that the author had," Tristan remarked.

"Don't tell me you're actually starting to _like _school!" Joey mumbled in annoyance, "All the girls just like the teacher is because they think he's so _cool_!"

"Well, he's smoother than you," Tea winked.

"Whatever!" Joey yelled.

Yugi smiled as he held on tightly to his Puzzle. He reflected on his past to where he heard strange rumors about the treasure item, such as the one who solved the artifact would be granted one wish.

"_It was because I made a wish that I was able to make friends_," he reflected.

"Don't forget about his weird sense of humor," Joey tried to point out, "The man has brown hair and eyes and wears a brown suit often, so how does he think he's cool with his name being Mr. Brown?"

"I think someone is just jealous," Tristan sighed.

"I am not!" Joey spat.

"Yep, he cannot compete with a foreigner," Tea agreed as she continued on walking.

/They're at it again, aren't they,/ commented a dark spirit who appeared next to his lighter half.

/Yes, they are./ Yugi replied as he looked over towards his transparent partner with a small smile. "_And I was also able to meet you_."

After a long day at school and spending a relaxing afternoon at the arcade, young Yugi finally made it home. He greeted his grandfather and mother then went upstairs to his room.

"What a fun day this was!" Yugi laughed with joy as he changed from his uniform to pajamas.

Yami only smiled. He had his arms crossed and leaned over Yugi's desk. He was glad to have Yugi for his partner. The teen never showed any signs of arrogance, even after crushing all his friends in simple machine games. He would also offer some advice, but was it really helping them out or did he just want a better challenge?

"Yami," Yugi said as he took a seat on his mattress.

The former pharaoh turned his attention towards his companion. The young boy looked as though he had something important to say; an emotion that resembled a young child wanting to say something from the heart but might be afraid to.

"Yes?" Yami replied softly. He did not want to frighten his partner, his friend whom he trusted after years of bonding through time and card games.

"Um… I'm really glad my wish didn't backfire on me," the boy confessed as he pulled up his knees closer to himself. "I'm glad I was able to make friends with all of them… and you, too."

Yami smiled. He was grateful for being wanted by a teen who was willing to share so much of his life. Time after time, tragedy would strike and even though it had implanted fear, courage and faith were found among everyone, especially Yugi, who was destined to place together the Puzzle, set free a spirit, and help restore peace.

"Thank you," the older boy said.

"But, do you ever have any wishes?" Yugi suddenly asked with great curiosity.

"What do you mean?" Yami asked as he stood up from his position. The narrow violate eyes looked directly into another pair of violate puppy dog orbs that reflected innocence.

"Well, the Puzzle was able to give me my wish. I solved it. But, you live _in _the Puzzle. Don't you have any control over of what you desire?" Yugi asked concern about his partner's well being.

Yami was quiet for a moment. He did not expect to ever been asked such a question. Hardly anyone ever asks him what he wanted, only advice for duels or everyday life situations. The dark spirit only smiled when he realized his answer. He walked over towards his light.

"I have my wish," he announced as he gently placed one hand over Yugi's shoulder, "And that is being by your side. To be able to enjoy what you do. We were brought together by Destiny, but it was your choice for you to be so inviting. I'm very glad I have the privilege to be with you."

The small boy grinned and laughed quietly.

"Thank you," Yugi said as he positioned himself into a comfortable place on his bed.

As the young child finally fell asleep, Yami looked out at the window. In his view he was able to see a beautiful full moon out. Yami's view changed when the glitter of the gold pyramid caught his eye. The Puzzle was truly an amazing artifact.

There were so many powers within it, and yet it is only one of seven items from ancient Egypt. The same artifact had also caused several trouble as it is valued around the world for either its material good or its hidden power. There were some strange capacities that came from within the Puzzle, even some that Yami himself did not know about.

The older boy closed his eyes and thought, "_I do sometimes wish I could be more by your side_."

**To be continued…**

Chao- Why are all these ideas floating around Chao's head?

YChao- Bah, you're just procrastinating homework again.

Chao- Yeah. Please review!


	2. Wish Granted

Chao- Yay! Next chapter!

YChao- Whoopie doo.

Chao- Yummy! Peeps!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

/Yami and Yugi mind link./

**Chapter 2: Wish Granted**

Yami mentally awoke to someone calling his name. The voice was familiar but sounded far away. Even though he hadn't open his eyes, Yami could feel something was wrong. His entire form felt heavy. His back was hurting and his body was not enjoying being laid flatly against a hard floor. The ground he was on felt soft and fuzzy. He was more accustomed to cold floors and made of stone or concrete.

There was something else that was creeping in the back of his mind. He was asleep! Since when do spirits need rest? Despite never knowing time within his Soul Room, Yami would occupied himself with thinking up new strategies, trying to remember his past, or even just watching over Yugi while the boy slept.

/Yu…gi?/ Yami tried to see if his partner was fine, /Yugi? Are you there?/

Suddenly, Yami realized he no longer had any connection with Yugi. He flashed his eyes open and immediately sat up straight. His head began to swirl around with confusion as a massive headache took form. He closed his eyes as he attempted to make sense of what was occurring around him.

At that moment, Yami heard the same familiar voice call his name once more. He then quickly felt someone grab him around the waist. The spirit rapidly flashed his eyes open and was surprised to see Yugi grabbing hold of him. Yami promptly looked around to where he was. He was shocked to see he was no longer in his Soul Room.

"_I'm in…Yugi's room_," he observed with awe.

"Yami?" Yugi called out quietly.

The older boy gazed down at his partner. The younger boy continued to hold on to his darker half with a firm grip, as though he was afraid if he did let go Yami would vanish. Yami was stunned he and Yugi were in the same room together and yet neither one of them were in a transparent state.

"_Is this a dream?_" Yami pondered, "_Am I in Yugi's dream or… is this some sort of nightmare?_"

Yami carefully pulled away Yugi and looked deeply into the puppy dog eyes.

"Yami," Yugi whispered, "Are you ok?"

Yami was quiet for a moment. He examined himself and felt no physical nor mental pain emitting from anywhere.

"Yes, I'm fine," he answered, "Are you all right?"

Yugi nodded his head, sighed with relief, and explained, "I… I woke up and saw you on the floor… I… I wasn't sure what was going on… I'm just glad you're ok."

Yami smiled and replied, "And I'm glad that you are fine."

Yugi smiled as he assisted his friend to standing up. Yami walked over towards Yugi's desk and stared down at the gold upside down pyramid. The artifact shimmered as the sun's rays went through the open window and reflected on the metal.

"_Two of us…one Puzzle_," Yami observed with a stern look on his face. Yugi glanced at his partner's facial expression and notice how serious the situation was. The adolescent had been told he was destined to solve the Puzzle, set free a spirit, and save the world from destruction. He had never been informed of Yami ever coming out of the Puzzle, but Yugi managed to figure out the only way for Yami to be out was to switch places.

"Yami, what's going on?" Yugi asked softly as his smile faded. There was a moment of silence between the two as both boys tried to figure out the strange situation at hand. Yami sighed and replied honestly, "I don't know."

The younger boy rubbed one of his arms with his opposite hand. He was sure his darker half was attempting to figure out this strange situation. Yugi closed his eyes as he tried to remember what happened the night before. He told Yami his feelings towards wishes then went to sleep. Throughout the night, the boy did not feel any pain nor discomfort in the middle of the night.

"_So what next?_" Yugi pondered, "_Is this where our partnership comes to an end?_"

Sadness crept its way into the boy's heart. He did not want to end his friendship with his companion over this confusing manner. He wanted to be by his side and continue on with cheering for Yami and going through danger because he chose to do so.

Yami turned around and saw how upset his partner seemed to be. The older boy walked over and placed his hands on Yugi's shoulder with a caring grip. Yugi unlocked his pupils and his eyes met with Yami's that were filled with concern and determination.

"Everything will be all right," Yami tried to encouraged though he, himself, was a little frazzled about the situation. "We'll figure this out."

Yugi smiled and nodded his head. Yami released his lighter half and walked back to the desk and tried to figure out where he could get answers. Yugi, too, evaluated possible solutions. Silence engulfed the room as the two were lost in their own worlds.

They were brought together by Destiny, cared for each other, encouraged each other, and were always there for each other. Now, they were apart and needed to find out the reason behind it. The last time there was a problem this hard, the answer they seek lied within the Domino Museum with the Egypt exhibit.

"Wait, I think I found something," Yugi stated, sounding excited. Yami turned around and listen carefully.

"What if we go back to the Domino Museum and asked if Ishizu knows anything about this?" Yugi suggested. Yami gazed away as he considered this option.

"This may only be one choice," Yugi began, "But it's a start, isn't it?"

Yami nodded his head and said with a serious tone, "Let's get moving."

The older boy was ready to leave when he felt someone tugging on his arm.

"Wait!" Yugi begged as he tried to prevent his buddy from leaving. Yami turned back around and asked, "What is it?"

The smaller boy laughed and said, "We can't leave the house like this."

"What?" Yami questioned as he looked down at himself. He was only wearing a simple black muscle shirt and blue pants with white socks. He then glanced at his partner with a confused look.

"Um," was all Yugi could say as he gently pulled on his pajama top. Yami was still not getting the picture behind what his partner was trying to point out. Yugi smiled as he sighed and explained, "We need to change."

"Change? Change what? I think out situation is difficult enough without having us _change _into anything else!"

"Um…Yami… That's not what I meant."

"…Then what is it?"

"People don't walk outside into the city with their pajamas and no shoes!"

"….Oh…. Then what do you suggest?"

Yugi walked over to his dresser and opened a drawer. He pulled out a clean red shirt and black pants. He handed them to Yami and said, "Try these on."

The boy hoped even though Yami was a bit taller, he appeared to be the same size when it came to clothes. Yugi then walked over back to the dresser and pulled out a clean green shirt and blue pants. He then made his way to the door. Before he left, Yami asked, "Wait, where are you going?"

"I'm going to the bathroom to take a shower and change there." Yugi explained.

"So then… I should try these clothes on first?" Yami inquired.

"Unless you want to take a shower first," the smaller boy offered.

"No, that's fine, I'll be here." Yami answered. Yugi nodded his head and left the room.

The former pharaoh took off whatever he was wearing and tried on what was handed to him. He then walked over to the mirror and examined himself. The outfit appeared to fit fine and looked good, but it was a bit loose and not tight and shiny, like with his leather clothing.

"I guess this will do," he sighed with a little dissatisfaction. He looked around to see if he could find any more accessories, such as belts, buckles, or chains. He opened up several drawers but only found different article of threads, like shirts and socks.

"Here were are!" Yami exclaimed as he walked over to Yugi's desk and pulled out the top drawer. He found and tried on a simple chain that he placed between his belt loops. It wasn't a big chain nor a fancy one, but the older boy was satisfied with finding at least something.

"You ready to go," a voice asked with a knock on the door. The former pharaoh opened the door and saw Yugi was all set.

"Yes, I am." Yami stated with the Puzzle in hand. Yugi turned away from Yami and couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"What's so funny?" Yami asked with a nervous smile, wanting to know the joke.

"You're actually still trying to place chains and such as part of your style?"

"Yes. But I think you should also wear more buckles."

"Yami! That's not my style!"

"Fine then, have Tea continue to ignore you."

"…."

"I'm sorry, that went a bit too far."

"You think."

The two boys walked into an empty kitchen. Yami waited patiently as Yugi took out a sheet of paper and marker and wrote down something.

"What are you doing?" Yami gently asked with curiosity.

"I'm leaving Grandpa a note saying we'll be out for a few hours," the adolescent explained.

Yami looked around his new area. He never noticed some of the lightening or objects within the kitchen since he was usually in the Puzzle or talking with his partner. He had no need to observe the room as this was Yugi's house, a safe place.

"I think this should be fine," Yugi commented as he broke through Yami's thoughts, "Hopefully we can get some answers and if we don't, Grandpa will at least know where we are."

"That makes sense," Yami agreed. He was glad his partner was someone who thought about other people's feelings. He was someone who took responsibility.

"Ok, let's go." Yugi said as he placed the cap back on the marker and left a small yellow sheet of paper on the table. Yami did not say anything but followed his light out back. When the two were outside, Yugi locked the door behind him. The walk to the museum was mainly in silence. Both boys were semi-lost in their own worlds.

"_I know Yami must be worried about all this_," Yugi assumed from his stand point, "_Am I being selfish in liking the idea a bit?_"

The boy glanced down at the Puzzle with curiosity. Despite having the object always around him, there were many powers hidden the young adult was unaware of. All he knew was that it harbored his good friend, had some sort of dark magic to it, and granted his wish to making friends. Yugi then turned his attention towards Yami and pondered about what his friend thought about the situation.

/Yami…can you hear me?/ Yugi tried to see if the mind link still work. A frown came upon the boy's face as he saw that his other half was still walking and gazing around from the ground, to the Puzzle, and the city. Yugi sighed in defeat, "_Guess not_."

Yami heard Yugi sighed and looked over at him. The boy had his eyes closed and appeared to be unhappy.

/Yugi, what's wrong?/ Yami tried to ask in his usual habit. However, the boy continued to walk.

"_Because I have my own body, does that mean I'm disconnected with Yugi?_" Yami wondered with dissatisfaction.

Yugi looked up from his position and noticed his darker half was looking at him. Since Yugi could no longer read Yami's mind, he was unsure of what his other self was thinking. The boy thought it would be best to smile and say, "We're almost there."

The building in front of them was vast. There were many pillars to help support the roof with numerous tiny stairs for patrons to climb in order to enter. The two boys looked at each other for a moment. Their purple eyes met each other, both were concerned mixed with a little fear. The two nodded their heads and were ready to take on the mysterious situation.

They climb the steps together and entered through the giant doors. They passed by many people who were gazing in awe of the old artifacts from Egypt. They walked down a giant hall. The further they went, the less people they encountered. Eventually, the two of them came upon a green door they knew Ishizu was behind. Yami and Yugi glanced at each other once more. They nodded their heads again despite not knowing exactly what the other was feeling.

Yami gently knocked on the door. It opened the and two stepped through. In the center of the room was a large desk. A woman with black hair wearing a simple tan dress worked quietly as her eyes were down.

"Excuse me," Yugi said trying to catch the woman's attention while at the same time attempting to be polite. The woman gazed up from her position. Her beautiful set of blue eyes widen a bit when she saw who was standing in front of her.

"My Pharaoh," she gasped.

"I believe there's a problem," Yami stated, ready to become serious and receive answers.

"I agree." Ishizu said. She listen with great curiosity as the two boys took a seat with Yugi trying to explain the situation.

"I see," was all she could say, "This is indeed odd."

"You mean that this wasn't suppose to happen?" Yami questioned while becoming a bit unstable. Ishizu nodded her head.

"Then how could this be?" Yami asked becoming more frazzled, "I thought Yugi and I were to stay connected. Isn't that why Destiny brought us together?"

The woman nodded once more.

"Perhaps the answer lies within the Puzzle," she assumed as the artifact held many great hidden powers. The group stared at the upside down pyramid that lied on the desk. Yami sighed with frustration as he leaned back in his seat and attempted to make sense out of everything.

"_Maybe Yugi was right_," Yami thought, "_I do live in the Puzzle… I should have control over it… Is this how my wish was granted? The power of the artifact gave me my own body?_"

"I will try and see if there are any answers behind this," the woman instructed as she stood up from her seat, "I will also do some research and find any information to solving this manner."

The two boys nodded their heads and stood up.

"Thank you," Yugi smiled as he did a little bow. Yami watched his light do the formal action only to realize that now he was out of the Puzzle, he should do the same.

As the two boys walked out of the room, Yami held the Puzzle in his hands as he watched it reflect against the light coming from the ceiling. Yugi watched his partner and noticed how unhappy he was.

"_I was quite excited that Yami got his own body_," Yugi thought as he walked in silence, "_But maybe… maybe it was for the best Yami didn't come out…" _

Yami glanced towards his friend and noticed how glum the boy appeared. The taller one looked back at the Puzzle and remembered how Yugi felt strange and empty without the object hanging down around his neck.

"I'm sorry," Yami began as he held out the pendant, "Did you want to wear it?"

Yugi smiled and shook his head. Yami pulled the Puzzle back and returned with his thoughts. Although the teen knew why his partner was acting with concern, Yugi wanted to have a little fun with his friend for having his own body.

"Let's look around!" he suggested excitedly.

"Huh?" Yami pondered perplex as to what his light meant.

"Let's… try and have some fun at least," the boy attempted to explain, "Before… before you return to the Puzzle… Try and enjoy having a body without having to share mine."

Yami gasped and replied, "But, Yugi, I enjoy sharing a body with you and I always enjoyed doing the same activities as you do!"

Yugi couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, I know," he giggled, "But… For now, you don't have to."

The boy grabbed his friend's sleeve and pulled him over to the museum's exhibits, "As I said, let's try and have some fun!"

The younger teen tugged his friend and the two searched around the entire museum. There were many statues, artifacts, photos, and exhibits around.

"Yugi, what does this say?" Yami would ask the question several times as the exhibit may be on Egypt, but everything was written in Japanese for the patrons to understand and learn.

"Do you know what it means?" Yugi would ask as he understood the text but did not know the meaning behind the words. After exploring several stations, the two of them were able to get along and place aside their fears about the situation they were in.

"_He seems to be cheered up_," the two of them assumed as they observed each other throughout the day. At that moment, Yami felt his stomach growling. He blushed a bit with embarrassment as some of the younger children looked at him. Yugi laughed a bit but then heard his own stomach beg for food. Yami chuckled in returned. The younger boy still smiled and said, "With all this rush, neither of us ate breakfast. Let's go get some food."

"Um… ok," was Yami could say as he followed his light out of the building.

"Where are we going?" Yami finally asked as he blindly followed Yugi.

"Where else?" Yugi laughed, "This is your first time eating something with your own body. Make it special!"

"Yugi… you don't mean…"

"Yep! We're going to Burger World!"

**To be continued…**

Chao- Finally! Chao had to push and push by writing and writing in order to figure out an actual plot idea and scenes…. Please review!


	3. A Day of Fun

Chao- URGH! It seems as though Chao can't concentrate on any skool work! All that comes to mind is ideas for fan fics!

YChao- You? Have a mind?

Chao- Scary, huh?

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 3: A Day of Fun**

The walk over from the museum to Burger World seemed almost like a dream. Many different people walked by while going about with their own day and errands. There were adults traveling to and from work, families running around with children, and adolescents trying to meet their friends while in a huge rush in a poor attempt to be on time.

Yami was fascinated by the view around him. When he was in the Puzzle, he took delight in staying by his light's side and having small talk. He also enjoyed just being out in his transparent state and watched as Yugi and everyone else have fun.

He did not mind walking around with Tea that one day right before Battle City took place. He was grateful he was able to appreciate being with someone so positive and full of life. He was glad he was able to be cheered up after going through an emotional rollercoaster about himself and his mysterious past life. But now, he was with Yugi. He now was granted the ability to actually walk with his friend without having to be within the gold pyramid.

Just then, the good mood vanished when the two boys heard a tough sounding, "Hey, you." They turned around and saw a mysteriously looking, tall man wearing a black trench coat and a black fedora. On instinct, Yami grabbed Yugi by is wrist and pulled the boy behind him.

"_Separated or not, people may still be after the Puzzle_," Yami assumed as he glared down the giant man, "_People may try and take advantage of Yugi's and mine situation. This could be even more dangerous._"

The man took off his hat and smiled nervously, "I'm sorry to bother you, but do either of you know where the bus stop is?"

"The bus stop?" Yami repeated confused as he gently released Yugi's arm. The man now appeared to be harmless enough. Yugi laughed and explained to the man where the location was.

"Thank you very much," the man said then departed.

"I'm glad we were able to help," Yugi remarked as the two continued on.

"_We?_" Yami questioned as he rubbed the back of his head with embarrassment, "_I didn't do anything… I only assumed the worse_."

The two friends strolled on in the broad daylight and eventually made it to their destination.

"Ah! One of my favorite places!" Yugi stated with excitement and content. Yami only stared at the vast building with a giant hamburger on top. He had seen it many times, but now he was able to walk in.

The smell of the place was new to Yami. He was expose to the pungent aroma mixed from the frying potatoes, hamburgers on the grill, and the well-known tomato sauce, ketchup. The two boys were shown to a small both and were handed menus.

"How sweet two brothers are having lunch together," squealed a waitress. Yami wanted to interject and explain he was not at all related to Yugi, but the smaller teen just laughed and the waitress walked away. Yami glared down at the menu he was handed. There were many pictures of food items and characters, but Yami's mind was elsewhere, "_Err… I suppose explaining to everyone I'm really only a spirit in the Puzzle would be impossible… not to mention a dangerous idea as someone could be watching_."

His concentration was interrupted when he heard, "Yami, did you hear what I said?"

The older boy looked up and saw Yugi was trying to talk with him.

"Oh, sorry," Yami replied as he placed down the menu in order to see Yugi's face. The boy smiled and repeated, "What looks good to you?"

"Oh…um…" Yami was lost.

He was unsure of what the many Japanese characters were saying. He could only recognize the photos of the food. However, even if he could read, Yami was unsure of what he would like. He was aware of Yugi's big passion for hamburgers, but would he like them? When he was at the café with Tea that one day, he allowed her to order a simple drink for him. He only was able to consume half of it. Not because he didn't like it, but because at the time, his mind was filled with anxiety.

"I'm not sure," Yami finally stated as he placed the menu on the table, "What do you think I should have?"

Yugi frowned a bit as he glanced down feeling ashamed.

"_Did I say something wrong?_" Yami assumed. He was about to speak when Yugi said, "I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"We… we don't have to eat here if you don't want to…."

"But, Yugi-"

"This… this is your first time having a body of your own in millenniums so…you should be the one deciding of what to have."

Yami couldn't help but chuckle. He was glad Yugi still cared about him and his well being. He shook his head and replied, "No, let's stay here; I don't mind."

"Ok," Yugi agreed as he smiled.

The two of them ordered basic hamburgers for Yami to try and see what he liked. He glared down at his plate with the burger and fries. He then glanced up towards Yugi and saw the boy had placed together his hands. Yami decided to do the same.

Yugi then chanted, "Itadakimasu!"

Yami wanted to do the same, "Ita… itdkimas."

He then watched as Yugi took his first bite and enjoyed having the taste of food in his mouth. The dark spirit couldn't help but be amused about how childish his light could be. Yugi seemed to be like a little kid enjoying a kiddie meal.

"_Maybe this is why he gets confused as a grade school student,_" Yami chuckled. Yugi looked up from his plate and asked with an innocent smile, "What's so funny?"

"Huh?" Yami replied as he snapped back into reality, "Oh… nothing."

He glanced down at the table as he remembered, "_That's right… Yugi can't really hear my own thoughts anymore…" _

He picked up a fry and played with it. A part of him enjoyed the idea of having a bit more privacy, but a part of him longed for the connection he once had with his partner. The whole experience was odd to Yami. He was accustomed to sharing a body and have someone else hear his thoughts. He wondered if his partner felt the same.

"Aren't you going to try it?" Yugi asked in a childish tone.

The former pharaoh picked up his burger and examined it carefully. He was bit surprised he was about to consume a piece of meat wrapped around lettuce, tomatoes, and two buns. If he had been able to stop mad men from taking over the world, shouldn't he be able to do try something new with ease? Yami inhaled a big breath and took a tiny bite. His eyes widen for a moment.

"This… this…" Yami struggled to find the right words about how he was feeling, "It's good!"

Yugi couldn't help but laugh at what his friend had stated.

"_Now I know why Yugi likes coming here_." Yami thought to himself as he gazed over his food with joy.

When the two were finally done, Yugi paid for both meals. Yami couldn't help but feel guilty he was spending Yugi's money. Then again, Yami didn't have any money. He only went along where ever Yugi went, and since no one could see him, he was able to have fun for free.

"I'm sorry you had to spend so much," Yami said as they left and walked down the cement path. Yugi smiled and replied, "No, it's fine. I don't mind. You've managed to appreciate something new and that's what counts."

After that matter was solved, Yami decided to ask, "What are we doing next?"

"How about a movie?" Yugi suggested.

"A movie?" Yami repeated.

"Yeah, it's been awhile since I last saw one." Yugi stated, "Come on, it's not too far down from here."

"Ok, then," Yami agreed with a bit more enthusiasm. They came upon an average size theater on the corner with a café to one side. Yami reminisce to the time when he came to see a space film with Tea.

"What type of movie do you want to see?" Yugi asked breaking through Yami's mood.

"What?" Yami questioned.

"What type of movie? Comedy? Horror? Fantasy?" Yugi suggested while skimming through the titles and times.

The older boy only stared at his friend; he had no clue as to what his light was suggesting. To him, it was all foreign gibberish. After a moment of an awkward pause, Yugi understood what was wrong with his darker half.

"Do you want to see something that's funny? Or something scary?" Yugi did his best to translate from proper genre words to everyday language.

"I guess whatever you want to see," Yami replied. He really had no preference between what type of story was displayed on a screen. Yugi walked up to the ticket booth and said, "One student and one adult, please."

"Alrighty," said the employee. The total price for the tickets came up and Yugi was a bit surprised about how much two tickets cost. The employee looked over towards the other older boy and remarked, "Are you sure your friend isn't a student also?"

Yugi looked back towards Yami and stuttered, "Well… um…. He doesn't have any ID with him."

"Ah, that's ok," empathized the worker, "I forget mine all the time." With that, the cost for the two tickets decreased.

"Thank you," Yugi said as he departed. The younger teen handed Yami his ticket. He looked up towards Yami and thought for a moment, "_Now that Yami is separated from me… perhaps he does look like a student… maybe even a college student since he does appear a bit older_."

"What's wrong?" Yami asked breaking Yugi's thoughts. The young adult shook his head and answered, "Nothing… Let's go!"

The aroma of popcorn was a pungent smell Yami had never forgotten. The combination between the kettle and melted butter could make any mouth water. Yami also did not forget the sticky floor he stepped upon once.

"_Not again_," he sighed with unease as he slightly lifted his foot.

"Don't worry about it," Yugi cheered up, "It's not like it's chewed up gum. We can always just put them in the wash."

The two friends were careful with where they were walking. There were many young kids running around, playing, shouting, crying, and teasing each other. Yami remained quiet, but Yugi couldn't help but laugh. The older boy was lost in viewing all the movie posters promoting future films and actors. Many of them were colorful and eye grabbing.

"Yami," Yugi called out trying to prevent his friend from walking around mindlessly.

"Hmm," was all Yami said as he turned around.

"This is our theater," Yugi informed as he pointed to a door with a number hanging above.

They walked into together to what appeared to be a long dark tunnel with tiny lights emitting from the floor by the walls. Yugi placed on hand on the wall to help guide him. Yami became paranoid and did the same while taking his other hand and grabbing hold of Yugi's risk. Despite it being his name, Yami did not relish being in darkness for too long. He had plenty of time without light for many, many long millenniums.

"This is only for people to enjoy watching movies even more," Yugi tried to explain as they finally moved out from the tunnel to a room with many rows of chairs and a very large screen. Yami already knew that. He was with Yugi numerous times while in the Puzzle, but he behaved the same way when he was with Tea. There were many other people already sitting down and either chatting or texting on their phones.

"Excuse me," Yugi would say as he and Yami moved down an aisle to find a good seat to watch the film. As they took their seats on red chairs, advertisements were displayed on the large screen.

"By the way," Yami said, "What movie did you pick?"

The young teen only smiled and remarked, "You'll see."

Soon, the entire area around them turned black. Yami quickly gazed around but was relieved when he did not sense the presence of anything evil. The first showing were only previews for future movies. Some of them looked interesting while others were just plain boring. Yugi couldn't help but laugh out loud along with the other audience members at certain scenes. Yami would crack a smile as he only understood so much.

The film the two friends watched was a child's film that was a fantasy mixed in with some comedy. The movie was rather pleasant to all who watched it. When the screening over was, the lights flipped back on and people immediately started to leave. Yugi stood up from his seat and started to walk towards the stairs.

Yami tried to follow, but many people were wanting to leave right away as well. Since the movie was aimed for children, tiny munchkins began to run around causing teens to trip over them. The dark spirit tried his best to avoid the hassle of stepping over the kids, but in his effort, he lost Yugi. Yami had his back to the large screen as his eyes scanned the room to find his partner. He could feel his heart beat faster with anxiety. By now, the area was empty and young employees came in to clean up the trash.

"Yugi, where did you go?" Yami whispered to himself. He then quickly went to the long hallway, that was brighter than when they went in, and managed to find the exit. He entered into a large room in the shape of a circle. He rapidly gazed around the area, but many other people were walking in and out of the theater.

"Yugi!" Yami tried to call out since their mind link was down. He soon started to worry even more.

"_What if someone one took him?_" Yami began to irrationalize as he walked into several different areas, "_They might not know we are separated and may do something terrible to Yugi!_"

He quickly checked a few more rooms, but some were hard to see as the lights had been dimmed down. He then decided to walk outside. Far too many people were on the outside than on the inside and with his partner's high issue, Yami may have even more problems finding Yugi.

"Ah! That's it!" he exclaimed with hope. He stood upon a bench to try and obtain a bird's eyes view. He briefly checked the small area but had no luck. He sighed with discontent.

"Yami!" someone called out. Yami looked below from where he stood and finally saw his light.

"Yugi!" Yami exclaimed as he stepped down, "I'm so glad you're all right!"

"I guess we just got separated for a bit," the young teen laughed.

Yami only smiled as he was glad to be reunited with his friend, even if the two were no longer connected spiritually. He was also pleased no harm came to his light. Yugi took a seat on the same bench and sighed with relief. Yami did the same. There was just something about being reunited with someone after being separated that appeared to be satisfying. Soon, the former pharaoh noticed his light's smile had faded. The boy closed his eyes and his head was hanging a bit.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" Yami asked with concern. The teen continued to remain silent. Yami placed one hand on the boy's shoulder for comfort. Yugi slowly opened his eyes and Yami saw how sad his friend looked.

"What's wrong?" Yami asked once more.

"This… has been fun and all," Yugi began with his voice becoming a tad shaky, "But… but what next?"

"What do you mean?" Yami questioned with curiosity. He was worried about what the adolescent meant and wanted to know how to help ease his friend.

"What next?" Yugi repeated as he gazed back down to the floor, "Where do we go from here? Is this… is this where our partnership comes to end?"

The older boy's eyes widen a bit. The smaller boy pulled his knees up from the ground and hugged them.

"Take now, for example," Yugi tried to explained still not looking up, "You were separated from the Puzzle… We were able to enjoy spending the day together… we were both apart after the movie… neither one of us could contact each other through our mind link… Are you suppose to end your journey on your own?"

Yami glanced down towards the floor. He was unsure what to say. He felt completely lost when he was not around Yugi. Worried and anxiety crept into his heart in that short time period. He did not at all appreciate the fear he felt not too long ago.

However, Yami knew for sure Destiny chose Yugi to solve the Puzzle for a reason. What was the point in meeting him if Yami was only to no longer be around him? Yami knew, regardless of what happens to him, he did not ever want to abandoned Yugi. He knew he still had plenty to learn from his light, and vice versa.

"We'll figure out something," Yami finally said feeling more confident. Yugi looked up from the floor and met with another set of purple pupils.

"It's true the Puzzle has many strange powers, but I don't think having us separated like this forever is either of our purpose," the dark spirit tried to explain, "And even if we never connect together through the Puzzle again, I'll still be here by your side."

Yugi smiled with relief.

"Ok," he whispered with full trust in his friend. The two of them stood up.

"Where do you want to go now?" Yami asked.

"Let's go back to the Game Shop," Yugi suggested, "Since we have yet to receive an answer from Ishizu, I think we should at least tell Grandpa what is going on."

Yami only nodded and the two were off to the Turtle Game Shop.

xxx

"That's quite a story," an elderly man stated with fascination and a bit of amusement. He was at first baffled at seeing his grandson and the former pharaoh in the same room without one being in the Puzzle. The three of them sat at a round table within the kitchen of the house with the gold, upside down pyramid in the center of the table.

"We already talked to Ishizu about this," Yugi explained, "She said she'll try and find some answers."

"I see," was all that Solomon could say, "Guess there are still many great powers to the Puzzle."

Yami nodded but continued with his gaze upon the ancient artifact. The powers he received granted him the ability to call forth and play Shadow Games, switch souls with other people, and was a great weapon of defense when needed, and yet there was still more to it.

"_This Puzzle also caused many discomfort to Yugi and everyone around him_," Yami thought to himself, "_What more is suppose to happen?_"

"By the way," Yugi began changing the subject, "Where is my mom?"

"She went out and won't be back for awhile," Solomon explained, "She didn't say anything specifically but I think she just needed some time to herself."

Yugi crossed his arms, closed his eyes with annoyance, and sighed with frustration. Yami turned his attention towards his partner. He could clearly see something was upsetting Yugi, but Yami did not know what it was. He was about to ask when Yugi interjected, "She and Dad are always going places… When are they just going to stay here!"

The elderly man laughed and remarked, "Yugi, they do have their own lives and jobs."

"I know," an agitated boy replied, "But they still have their own child to take of!"

xxx

The day was over as soon as it began. Yami was now feeling exhausted with his new body. He wanted to sleep but was unsure of what to do.

"Yami can sleep on the couch." Solomon offered.

"Are you sure?" Yugi asked as he glanced over towards his friend. He was worried about Yami not being comfortable enough but it might be better than sleeping on the cold hard floor. The older boy nodded his head, "That'll be fine."

Yugi had loaned Yami another pair of clothing that were a bit older and softer. He sat on the couch wanting to rest as his light went to go search for an extra blanket and pillow. The teen came over with them in hand but had a worried expression on his face. Yami smiled and reassured, "I'll be fine."

"Ok then," Yugi replied as he handed his friend the supplies. Before the boy left the room, he reminded with generosity, "My room is upstairs. You can come in if you want."

After he left, Yami was alone in the den on the couch. He, too, was a tad concerned about the future for him, Yugi, and everyone they knew. He then positioned himself into a comfortable form.

"_Whatever happens_," he reminded himself, "_We'll get through this together_."

He placed his head on the soft, white pillow and pulled over him a green, fuzzy blanket.

"_This feels great_," he thought to himself as he shut his eyes, "_No wonder… Yugi likes to… sleep…" _

The dark spirit finally allowed rest to take over.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Ya know, the hardest part to writing this chapter was the hamburger portion.

YChao- Why?

Chao- Cuz Chao doesn't like hamburgers!

Yugi- You don't? How is that possible?

Chao- Dunno… They're just… nasty…

Yugi- Blasphemy!

Chao- Meh… hot dogs are better…

YChao- What if the place doesn't sell hot dogs?

Chao- Chicken sandwiches are always good….


	4. A Day with Friends

Chao- Sigh! Let's see what happened next.

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 4: A Day with Friends**

Yami awoke the next morning feeling warm and cozy. Opening his eyes, he noticed blankets were wrapped around his body. The room he was in slowly filled with light from the sun that snuck through the shutters and curtains. The space was slightly cooled off as the fan from the ceiling was spinning around circulating the air.

"_This feels nice_," he observed as he allowed his body to enjoy the comfort of the soft, fluffy blanket, "_No wonder Yugi likes to sleep in_."

Yami's eyes widen when he realized that he was no longer connected to his light.

"_Yugi!_" Yami bellowed to himself as he tried to wake himself up. He sat up straight on the couch. He placed one hand on his head as he remembered everything that took place the day before.

"Ah, that's right," he reminded himself, "Somehow I was separated from Yugi."

Yami turned his head towards a small figure on a sofa near the couch Yami was on. The older boy noticed his partner curled up in a ball position and slept peacefully on the furniture. Yami couldn't help but smile. Quietly, he stood up from the couch and walked over towards his lighter half.

"Yugi?" Yami called out gently as he shook his partner. He wanted to make sure everything was all right with his friend. The small boy slowly opened his eyes. He looked around to see where he was.

"Good morning." Yami greeted with a tender smile. Just then, the older boy noticed tears began to stream down his light's face as though he were in pain.

"Yugi?" Yami called as he became alarmed. He placed his hands on his partner's shoulders as he asked, "What's wrong?"

At that moment, Yugi stood up from his position and leaped over to embrace his darker half. The two fell back onto the couch where Yami had slept earlier. The older boy was a bit stunned at Yugi's action. He then noticed his lighter half's body was shaking.

Yami gently returned the embrace towards his worried friend. He could feel his own shirt becoming wet with tears but did not mind; he wanted to comfort his companion. He waited for a moment before finally asking once more, "What's wrong?"

He pulled his partner away from him and waited patiently for an answer. The small adolescent wiped away his tears before answering quietly, "I'm glad… you're still… h-here."

"What do you mean?" Yami asked a tad puzzled.

"I… I…" the young boy stammered as he tried to explain, "I had a nightmare… the other night."

Yami's eyes widen a bit. He gently repositioned his hands on Yugi's shoulder and calmly asked, "What happened?"

Yugi sniffed his runny nose then answered, "I… I was walking around a dark area. The Shadows then attacked me. You tried to defend me but then…"

The young teen started to cry once more. Yami waited for a moment before asking, "Then what?"

In between sobs Yugi explained, "Then the Puzzled came apart and you disappeared. I tried to solve it but… but the pieces weren't going back into place! Yami, I thought I lost you!"

Yugi embraced his darker half once more, but this time, he had a tighter grip. He was too fearful to let go. Yami gently embraced Yugi as well. The former pharaoh figured Yugi was afraid of them becoming separated permanently only to vanish. He allowed his partner to cry and calm down. The spirit gently reminded his lighter half, "Yugi, there's no reason to fear this."

The small boy looked up towards Yami, who had a calm, genuine smile on his face. The dark spirit continued to explain, "I'm not going anywhere. The Puzzle is what keeps us connected. The Puzzle still is. Regardless of where Destiny takes us, I promise to not leave your side."

Yugi shut his eyes tightly as the last of his tears fell down. He then said quietly, "Th-thank you."

After feeling better, the two then stood up and walked into the kitchen. They could see an elderly man drinking a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper. He smiled as he greeted, "Good morning, boys."

Yugi yawned as he replied, "Morning, Grandpa." Yami took a seat at the table. Yugi also took a seat as he said, "I take it since my mom isn't here we're on our own for breakfast?"

"Yep," the old man replied. The teen sighed but reluctantly understood. He stood back up and walked over towards a compact white toaster. He placed in two slices of white bread.

"Yami," Yugi said as he turned a bit, "Did you want some toast as well?"

"Um… sure," the pharaoh replied. The teen turned back to face the machine and bread as he asked, "What type do you want? We have white and brown."

Yami was quiet. He usual would see different types of food but he never thought about having his own options. He now had the power to choose but was unsure of what to pick. He didn't even know what would taste like what.

"I'll just take whatever you're having," he replied. The smaller boy walked back over with two plates. Each one had two slices of white bread slightly burnt.

Yami carefully examine his plate. He looked up and saw his partner had added butter to one and jelly to another. He decided to try both of the breakfast condiments as well. He smiled after taking a small bite of each. The taste of butter was different from the jelly but he enjoyed both. After eating, Yugi stood up and took both plates and washed them off.

"So what are you both planning to do today?" Solomon asked as though he were use to having two boys in the house.

"Well, it's Sunday, isn't it?" Yugi asked with his grandfather nodding his head, "Does that mean you need me to help unpack boxes?"

"Yep," the old man replied, "But if you do fine, then you may hang out with friends."

"Ok." Yugi sighed as he placed the plates into the dish washer. He then strolled over to the table and said, "I can do it on my own. I don't think it would be fair to make Yami do the work since he is a guest."

"What?" Yami asked confused. He found it unfair for his partner to do chores when he was available. He stood up and insisted, "I don't mind helping out, really."

"But Yami," the teen tried to protest.

"Are you sure?" Solomon asked with the older boy nodding his head. The old man shrugged and agreed to it.

The three gentlemen walked towards the back of the store. Boxes waited for them from the company where the Turtle Game Store bought its products. Yugi lifted one box and brought it to the main room. Yami did the same. As they opened it, the boxes contained packs and singles for Duel Monsters.

"Look at all these cards!" Yami exclaimed. He had never seen so many hidden monsters, traps, and magic cards in the packaging. On days when Yugi had to do chores, the spirit waited patiently in the Puzzle in the boy's room. Now he was taken part in assisting his light.

"Yup." Yugi replied with a smile, "I wonder what lucky duelist will get to buy them!"

After sorting through and placing away the packs in a display case, the two went back outside to grab more boxes. These ones contained board games while another carried action figures. There were also game posters available and little model kits of old characters. Yami felt very close to these objects for he was proud player himself. The two of them were relieved when the work was done.

"Nice job, boys." Solomon complimented. He then asked, "So, Yugi, would you like your allowance or do you want to blow it out on more cards?"

Yugi sat on the floor and pondered about his answer. He wanted to have new cards so he could add them to his deck, but he also needed money for he spent a great deal of it with his darker half, who was now made into a real human form. He closed his eyes and replied, "I'll take my allowance."

The old man chuckled. He handed his grandson some cash. He then turned and offered, "Yami, would you care to have some cards?"

"What?" Yami asked.

"It's only fair as you did some work as well." Solomon explained.

"Well…" the older boy debated if he wanted them or not. He understood his partner had already spent his own money the other day. The former pharaoh believed it would be fair to pay his own way. He then replied, "I think because Yugi had already spent his money on me, I should do the same for him today."

Yugi glanced over towards his partner. He could not believe the choice Yami had made.

"Ok, then." Solomon chuckled. He understood the point the spirit of the Puzzle had and handed Yami some cash as well. The two of them went up to Yugi's room. The older boy sat on the bed as the smaller one closed the door.

"So what do you have in mind today?" Yami asked.

"Why did you do that?" Yugi questioned.

"What do you mean?" Yami asked, "What did I do?"

"Why did you take the money?" Yugi clarified. Yami was a bit baffled. He assumed he made his point clear when he accepted the greens. He decided to restate his explanation, "You already spent some of your money on me. If I were in the Puzzle then you wouldn't have to have gone through such trouble at all."

"I said it wasn't a problem!" Yugi nearly shouted.

The older boy remained quiet. He did not understand why his partner was upset. He tried to analyze the situation. He already knew his partner did not mind using his own money. The boy had often took care of problems with his other friends whenever someone was short on coin. He also did his best to pay back as soon as he could.

"_Money is complicated_," the spirit thought, "_But I suppose it's even harder with friends_."

"I guess I am still a little thrown off with you being out of the Puzzle." Yugi finally explained as he assumed his action towards his friend was unreasonable. He glanced down at the floor. He had a small smile on his face, but his eyes were a little sad.

"I understand." Yami smiled, "But the world still turns whether I am in the Puzzle or not. We may not know how long I'll be out. Until we get an answer from Ishizu, I may or may not return into the Puzzle. I understand how hard this is for you, but I believe this will be fair for now. Besides, you did say I should enjoy new activities."

"Yeah, I did." Yugi agreed, "I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's all right," the other boy said. He then decided to change the subject and ask once more, "So what are we doing today?"

"Lets see who's available to hang out," the smaller boy explained, "Why don't you go ahead and take a shower first? You can choose whatever you find in the closet or dresser."

After Yugi left, Yami stood up. He strolled over to see what he could find. When he was satisfied, he left the room and went down the hall towards the bathroom. He set his new clothes on a counter and hopped into the shower.

After dealing with certain water temperature issues, the former pharaoh learned how to operate a modern day shower. He enjoyed the sensation of water running down his skin. Before, he had only felt the cold drops of rain, or a spray coming out of a busted water hose. Yami then applied different shower supplies to his hair and body. He liked the fragments that came from the bottles. When he was done, he hopped out and dried himself off.

Placing on the clothing he selected with ease, he then looked at himself in the mirror. He did not have the gold pyramid around his neck nor his partner by his side. For now, Yami was his own person. He was fully responsible for his own actions as he currently was not connected to another soul. He wasn't sure what would be next. His concentration was broken when he head a knock on the door. Opening it, he saw the young teen.

"Any news?" Yami asked.

"Yeah. Everyone's available." Yugi replied with a huge smile, "We're going down to the arcade!"

Yami smiled when he saw how ecstatic the other boy was. He moved aside to allow the other one to take a shower and change. Yami walked back towards the bedroom and sat once more on the mattress. He glanced over towards Yugi's desk.

On it laid the Puzzle. Yami wondered how everyone would react to the news of the two being separated. He hoped everything will go well for them and everyone else. He did not wish for anyone interfering with their time together.

Xxx

"And that's what happened." Yugi explained the situation to his group.

"Wow," everyone stated.

"But you're both ok, right?" Tea asked with concern.

"Yup!" Yugi grinned.

"That's some story." Tristan remarked.

"That's awesome!" Joey exclaimed, "Nothing should ever be normal! Things would get boring! Now let's have fun and play some games!"

Yugi, Joey, Tristan raced off towards the gaming section of the arcade. Yami and Tea took their time to reach their excited companions. She was perplexed when she saw the two separated but smiled as she saw Yugi and Yami were all right. She wanted to spend a day with friends and did not wish to go against someone who wanted to gain the Puzzle and its power.

"Tea, is everything all right?" Yami asked, noticing the female adolescent appeared to be lost in her own world.

"Oh, yeah," she answered truthfully with a smile, "I'm just glad you're both ok."

The older boy was about to say something when the two heard their blonde friend yelling at a machine. They both decided to see what their slow witted pal lost at.

"I can't believe I lost again at this racing game!" Joey whined.

"That's because you have no control over your vehicle." Tristan sighed.

"He's right." Yugi agreed, "You go _way _too fast and your car starts to go off the surface of the road."

"But cars are suppose to go fast!" Joey argued.

"Lets go for another round and see." Yugi challenged.

"You're on," the blonde agreed with a huge grin.

Yami watched the group happily. He was pleased to see everyone having a great time together without any issues arising. The events moved smoothly and the former pharaoh was glad to know everyone was fine with him and Yugi being separated.

As they all moved from one game to another, everyone took a turn. They all then walked towards a table and rested a moment. The bright lights can be magnificent at first, but could hurt a player's eyes if one is not careful.

"I'm ready to eat!" Joey finally announced.

"Well, I already ordered a pizza." Yami stated.

"What!" everyone gasped at once, "When did you do that?"

"Awhile back," the darker half grinned, "You were all having fun playing these games so I thought it would be all right if I get everyone pizza. Hope you don't mind pepperoni."

"Not at all! I'll eat any type!" Joey stated with a grin.

"He ain't lying." Tristan sighed.

"That's fine with me." Tea insisted.

"Thanks, Yami." Yugi said quietly.

"No problem." Yami replied.

He was happy he was able to please his partner. He then glanced down at the floor. His smile faded a bit. It was not hard for him to walk away. It appeared as though everyone was having too much of a good time to notice his disappearance. Even Yugi was surprise to see the older boy was able to order something and return as though he was never there.

"Here you go!" said an employee as the plate of pizza was brought.

"Hooray!" everyone cheered.

The light of the cheese and meat glowed against the lamp from above. The steam danced upward then slowly vanished. The smell was familiar but never tiresome. Everyone thanked Yami once more then took a slice. Joey and Tristan chomped through their pieces with a breeze. Tea took a napkin and patted it down to drown out the excess grease and calories. Yugi took a bite and nearly burned himself with the hot tomato sauce.

Yami couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Learning from the others, he took a slice himself but waited for the food to cool off. He took a bite and smiled. He never knew how tasty a simple bread, tomato, and cheese could make friends feel so close.

Xxx

The group walked together into a city park. Around them were many families and friends playing with each other. Children crawled all over the play structure, young adolescents were running around and teasing each while the adults strolled around and talked. Soon, the sun started to leave their side of the world.

"This has been _some _day!" Joey stated as he stretched.

"Too bad it's almost over." Tea said.

"There's always something to do the next day." Tristan added.

"Yep." Yugi agreed, "Can't wait for it!"

Everyone started to leave the park and head over towards the Turtle Game Store when Joey challenged, "Race you all back to Yug's place!"

"You're on!" Tristan accepted.

The two boys bolted down the path. Yugi smiled and tried to catch up. Yami had wanted to join in but noticed Tea couldn't really run in the shoes she had picked out. The two of them only quicken their paced but still had fun walking with each other.

"Being the only female in a group of boys can be tough." Tea sighed but continued to smile.

Yami nodded and glanced up towards the other boys who were slowing down. Yami's smile faded a bit. As Yugi was running, he was becoming further and further away from Yami. The spirit felt something hollowed inside of him.

Like at the Spider Arcade, Yugi was enjoying his time without the weight of the Puzzle around his shoulders. Without even realizing it, Yami began to walk faster. He felt as though his light was slipping away from him, leaving him once again alone in darkness. He suddenly stopped when he heard someone call his name. He glanced down and noticed he had grabbed Yugi by his arm.

"Everything ok?" Yugi asked. Yami released his partner. He glanced around and acknowledged everyone was looking at him. He wanted to apologize but was lost for words.

Yugi looked down and saw a decent size rock in front of him. He assumed his darker half was trying to warn him so he would not trip over and hit the ground. The boy smiled and said, "Sorry, I should watch where I'm going."

Everyone laughed and continued walking towards their destination. They entered the shop and sat down together in one of the rooms. They all prattled on about the day's events and what else could take place. Yami remained mostly quiet but continued to smile. His time out of the Puzzle so far was amazing to him; ge was able to partake in activities with his partner and was by the boy's side. Soon, everyone departed for night and promised to see each other the next day.

"Today was so great!" Yugi said as he stood up from the chair he sat in.

"Indeed." Yami nodded. Yugi then yawned and said, "I'm going to bed now. Will you be ok down here by yourself?"

"Of course," the other boy replied with a gently smile.

"I'll see you in the morning," the young teen said as he headed up towards the stairs, "Night!"

Yami watched as his partner left him. He took a seat on the couch and began to think. He reflected the past two days he had been out of the Puzzle. So far, no disasters occurred. There were no villains to fight. Yami soon began to ponder.

He questioned how important he truly was to the one who solved the ancient artifact. He was there for support in the boy's everyday life, but he was the one who walked around with no memories of who he was. He became frighten like a child who had lost his parents in a crowded place.

He glanced up towards the ceiling fan. The object above continued to spin around, cooling the entire room. Yami stood up and turned off the lights. He looked back over and saw the fan continued to rotate, even while being in darkness.

He decided to keep it on since the time he spent with his friends was a hot day. He walked back towards the couch and lied himself on it. He had one hand on his forehead. He couldn't wait for the morning to come so he could see his partner once more.

As he shut his eyes, Yami hoped the wish he made would not vanish too soon.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Feeling a little distant now, are we?

YChao- Normally that's Yugi's position in these types of stories.

Chao- Indeed. Please review


	5. Tiny Emotional Journeys

Chao- Hmm… what new way could this author torture Yami?

YChao- Don't you usually do that with Yugi?

Chao- Yeah… Lets torture him, too!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 5: Tiny Emotional Journeys**

Now that the almighty King of Games has his own body, he is allowed to feel any experiences normal people endure. He had been able to feel the gently breeze across his face, ate food with tastes that lighten his tongue, and even managed to learn the pleasant sensation of dreams. However, with being fully about with a body, there are plenty of negatives as well.

As the former pharaoh slept on the couch after a long day, he soon started to toss and turn with discomfort.

Yami's nightmare

Yami glanced around his area. Darkness surrounded him. Looking down at his hand, he saw he was holding his Duel Monsters cards. He then glared across the field and saw the evil spirit of the Millennium Ring. He gasped when he realized he was in a duel with a not so polite opponent. What shocked Yami the most was what he saw on his side. Each of his friends were a monster from the game.

"It's my move," began the evil spirit. He grinned as he glanced at his options. He slipped one card from his hand and onto the field. His choice was the Change of Heart. A glow started to form and it engulfed the Dark Magician, who currently carried the soul of Yugi Mutou.

"Yugi! No!" Yami cried out. The young teen wearing the purple wizard's outfit screamed out in pain. He attempted to fight off the affect but to no avail. When the light was gone, the small creature was silent.

"Yugi! Are you all right?" Yami called. The petite monster stood in silence. He then slowly walked over towards the opposite side of the field. When he reached the other side, he glanced up to reveal his eyes had turned hollow.

"Looks like your former partner works for me now!" laughed the evil spirit with a huge grin, "Now the question is, who to attack first?"

"Yugi wouldn't dare harm his friends!" Yami protested. Anger started to erupt within the spirit of the Puzzle. He couldn't stand to see his opponent using his light while being forced to play a cruel game.

"He _is _under my control thanks to the Change of Heart," the evil Bakura reminded, "Let's see if he has the power to refuse an order… Dark Magician! Attack the Cyber Commander!"

Yami gasped when he saw the teen taking the command. The purple magician brought up his green staff and blasted a shot of dark magic towards the human like monster. Cyber Commander was destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. The spirit of the Puzzle clutched his chest as he cried out in agony. Because the duel was a Shadow Game, the player felt the same pain his monsters did.

"How wonderful!" laughed the dark spirit, "Now, attack the Flame Swordsman!"

The Dark Magician obeyed. The blonde friend who was in the suit of blue and orange armor was destroyed as well. Yami cried out in agony once more. He looked down at the field. He couldn't believe his light destroyed the people he cared about.

"And finally, the Magician of Faith!" the dark side of the Ring ordered with glee.

"Yugi please! Try and fight this!" Yami begged. He didn't want to see his partner go through the same torture.

The pleading was no use.

Yugi raised his staff once more and shot another blast of dark energy.

The Magician of Faith was now gone.

Yami dropped his cards and screamed as complete agony consumed him.

End Nightmare

Yami awoke with a startle. He sat up and placed one hand on his dizzy head. His breathing was heavy. Sweat poured down his face. He was too frighten by the dream to notice his own sensations around his body.

He couldn't believe what took place. He remembered the duel over at Duelist Kingdom, and the actual situation was scary enough. Luck was on their side when the real Bakura was able to take form and reject the command held by the spirit of the Ring.

After calming down, the boy realized he was in the den of the house. He was still present without being trapped within the walls of the Millennium Puzzle. He recalled all the events that took place the day before. He remembered he was no longer connected with his friend.

Fear entered his mind. He wasn't sure if the dream meant to say Yugi would be in any form of danger. Yami threw off his covers and jumped off the couch. He sprinted out of the room and quickly raced up the flight of stairs. His heart beat rapidly and hard. He needed to be sure his lighter half was all right.

"Yugi!" Yami yelled as he opened the door. He was surprised to see his partner was already up and ready for school.

"Good morning, Yami." Yugi greeted with a warm smile, "Did you sleep ok?"

Yami was lost for words. He was glad to see the small teen was fine but was still frazzled about his vision he had while he slept. He glanced down at the ground as he tried to have everything register in his mind.

"Yami, are you ok?" Yugi asked. He noticed his darker half was not responding. A light flashed in eyes as though he had realized something.

The small boy reached for the older boy's wrist. He then gently moved Yami into his room and placed the spirit on his bed. Yami was a bit confused about what his light was doing but he did not resist. Yugi then took a seat on his chair.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Yugi asked straight out. Yami looked up towards his friend. The teen's eyes were filled with concern. Yami glanced down at the floor and sighed. As he had his hands laced together, he went about and told his partner about what took place during the night.

"Wow, that's some nightmare." Yugi stated. He then started to think. He was glad the card did not have any effect on him thanks to the real Bakura. He was also grateful his own yami was able to place the dark person in place of Bakura. He then decided to ask, "How do you feel?"

A tiny smile grew across Yami's face; he was relieved he was able to tell someone about what happen. He was also glad none of his nightmare actually took place. He knew he would always protect his light, and because of that, in the back of his mind, Yami always feared he would not be able to do his duty. He then replied, "Better."

"That's good." Yugi said as he stood up. Yami stood up as well. He felt a little odd for him being the one to talk about a dream with Yugi listening. Normally the opposite took place.

"_Perhaps I was allowed to be out of the Puzzle to enjoy new experiences_."Yami thought as he continued to smile.

The two then went downstairs to eat breakfast. The elderly Mutou member had already fixed himself something. Yugi quickly made himself lunch first then prepared himself some food for the morning. Yami reached for some cereal and poured in some milk.

Yugi glanced over towards the clock. When he realized what time it was he shouted, "Yami! You better hurry up or we'll be late!"

"Late?" Yami questioned, "Late for what?"

"For school!" Yugi replied as he quickly tried to finish his morning meal.

"School?" Yami repeated confused.

"Well now that you have your own body, why not try and get use to living in today's world?" Yugi brought up. Yami glanced down at his bowl. School was the place where is light went almost everyday. There, the young adult met with his friends and tried to learn something new.

"Hurry Yami!" Yugi ordered as he rinsed off his plate.

"Wait, hold on Yugi!" Solomon instructed. Both males paused. They glanced over towards the old man. Solomon began, "Yugi, I know you would like to have Yami go to school with you, but it won't be that easy."

"What do you mean?" his grandson questioned, "Like getting him a uniform? He could always borrow mine and we can share textbooks."

"No, I mean something else." Solomon corrected, "In order for him to go to school, we need to get some papers to fill out."

"Well if we leave now I'm sure we can get them all done before first class." the teen heavily suggested.

"It still won't be that easy," the store owner continued, "Yami would still need some way to identify himself, such as a birth certificate."

"I suppose saying he was once the king of Egypt will count?" Yugi sighed as he took a seat back into the kitchen chair. Yami watched the conversation that took place between the two Mutou relatives. As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't go to school. Because he did not have the proper papers, in a sense, he does not exist.

"I think it would be best if I stayed here." he stated. The two others glanced back at the spirit.

"But, Yami," Yugi tried to protest but couldn't find what to say.

"Yugi, we both know I don't belong," Yami brought up gently, "I can barely read, write, or do basic math problems. Other than dueling, what else can I do?"

The adolescent stared down towards the floor. He didn't want to accept it but knew his grandfather and partner were right. He then thought out loud, "Then maybe I shouldn't go to school today."

"Now don't say that." Yami tried to comfort, "You should go. Your job is to be a student. Everything will be all right; I'll be here when you come back."

Yugi exchanged glances between his friend and back to the ground. He closed his eyes and thought, "_Even in this hard time, Yami is able to move on_."

"If it makes it easier for you two, we can all take the car and drop Yugi off at school." Solomon offered.

The two of them nodded with excitement. The group of men quickly left the house and went to the car. The old man sat in front while the boys took a seat in back. Yugi's attitude return back to his cheerful self. He pondered out loud what his other companions did and what everyone has planned for today. Yami listened politely and smiled. He glanced out the window and wondered what the day held for him.

As the car reached closer to Domino High, Yugi's smile soon faded. The glitter from his pendant caught his eyes. He held the artifact and examined it. The pyramid was where his spirit friend used to dwell, now he was out. For how long, the two of them did not know. The teen felt the motion of the vehicle come to a stop.

"Yugi?" Yami called out with concern. The adolescent closed his eyes. In one swift movement quickly took off his prize possession, held it towards his partner, and said, "Here."

"What?" Yami asked confused. He glanced between the item then to his light.

"This is yours," Yugi explained, "You were the one who once lived in it, you should still carry this around."

Unsure of what to do, the spirit reluctantly accepted the pyramid. With both hands, he gripped the cold item. Before he could say another word, Yugi stepped out of the car. He smiled as he said he would be home as soon as school was over. Yami tried to get a word out but could not. He only managed to smile before the car took off once more.

The drive back to the Turtle Game store was quiet. The spirit kept his eyes glued to the Puzzle. He couldn't believe Yugi chose to part with his treasure. Although the boy had chosen to relinquish his gift on a few occasions, Yami knew it was not easy. He hoped the boy would be fine without him.

When the car arrived, the two stepped out of the car and entered the shop. Yami glanced down at the Puzzle once more. He tighten his fists with pride and smiled a bit.

"_Since Yugi will do his best, then I will as well_." Yami promised towards himself. He walked over to the elderly man and asked, "So what do you want me to do?"

"You can watch some TV if you want." Solomon suggested without much thought.

"No, what I should say is that… If Yugi is doing his job and attending to his studies, then I would like to do something to keep my place here." Yami corrected.

Solomon turned his attention towards the former pharaoh and was a bit surprised. He could see in the young adult's eyes they were determined to not be a freeloader and actually work to keep his word of not being selfish. He was willing to assist the other day with carrying boxes for the game store. The old man smiled as he said, "If you insist, you can sweep outside."

Yami nodded, glad to have some tasks to do. He strolled over to the pantry and took out a broom. He then went outside and began to sweep. He glanced up towards the sky and chuckled a bit. Here was a former ruler of Egypt and now he was just a somebody sweeping.

When he had finished, the spirit went indoors and began to do some cleaning in there. He swept the crumbs away off from the tiles in the kitchen floor. He then glanced at the table and noticed the mess he and Yugi left. He decided to throw away any trash and properly wash off any left over dishes. He then decided to take a try and see if he could place away any used plates and cups within a dish washer.

He stopped his chore for a bit and sighed. Even though he wanted to keep working, he was curious to know how everyone was doing. He wondered if any news came up with the Egyptian lady. He hoped he would be able to see his light once more before returning to the Puzzle.

"When was the last time you spoke with Ishizu?" Solomon asked as he noticed the spirit's change in attitude and facial expression.

"The same day Yugi and I were separated." Yami replied as he remembered every moment of that day in clear detail, "Which I believe took place two days ago."

"Well, perhaps you should stop by and see if anything had been discovered." the old man suggested.

The spirit pondered about his options. He was curious to know if any news was found. However, he was unsure if he would be able to go anywhere without his other half.

"I think going to the museum by yourself would be a great experience for you." Solomon brought up, understanding the boy. Yami shot a glance towards his partner's guardian. He had a similar idea earlier in the morning.

"Plus, I think it would for you to kill some time before Yugi and everyone gets back from school." Solomon added cheerfully.

The former pharaoh thought once more about his choices. He was aware this whole day would also be a struggle for Yugi as well; he would not have the Puzzle around his neck. Perhaps this little journey would be a way for Yami to enjoy something new. He had been to Domino Museum many times in the past, arriving there without the help of anyone would be a challenge but not impossible.

"All right." Yami finally agreed. He placed the broom back inside the pantry. He sat down on the floor and positioned a pair of shoes on his feet. He stood in front of the door. This easy trip down to the museum would be an interesting one for the dark spirit. He may not have his light by his side, but he figured he would still be of assistance towards his friend if he went during the day while his buddy did his job as being a student.

Yami took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked down the path alone. He had his hands in his pocket as he strolled down the cemented sidewalk. Many people passed by as they all had some place to be. The pharaoh came across a park and saw many mothers and children playing. The area he was in soon became less crowded.

He stopped for a moment to look at the sky. He saw a few clouds lazily pass by. He smiled. He wondered how Yugi was doing without him. As much as he disliked not being with his partner, Yami knew he had to do this portion alone.

He at least had something to look forward to after a long day, and that was seeing his friend come home with his usual cheery smile.

Xxx

A young teen stared out his class window. He was able to see a nice view from where he stood. He was also lost a bit in his own world. The day had been going smoothly but he was curious how his darker half was doing without him. He smiled as he couldn't wait to hear what his partner had been up to.

"Hey! Yug!" Joey called to his zoned out friend.

"Hmm?" Yugi responded as he snapped back into reality.

"You ready for our next class?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, let's go." Yugi replied as he walked away from the window and went to his next lesson with his friends.

Xxx

The spirit of the Puzzle soon came to a flight of stairs. Beyond the steps was the architecture that contained many artifacts on Egypt. Yami took a moment to prepare himself mentally once more. He vowed no matter what took place, he would continue to be by Yugi's side.

Boldly, he took his feet and walked up his path. He entered through the doors with ease. He passed by several hallways with many statues and pottery but few people. He had an idea of where he needed to head towards. He strolled down a familiar path and soon came upon the same door as before. He knocked to be sure the person he was looking for was in her usual office.

"Come in." said a woman's voice. Yami took the invite and opened the door.

"My Pharaoh!" Ishizu gasped when she gazed up at her guest.

"Hello Ishizu," the spirit greeted, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Oh, of course not." the woman assured. She stood up and remarked, "I can see the one who solved the Puzzle is not with you."

"No, he is at school."

"Oh, yes, your partner, the one who was able to assist in saving the world, is still only in high school."

Yami couldn't help but chuckle at the truth within the statement. Ishizu gestured for the former pharaoh to take a seat. She sat down behind her desk and waited to hear what Yami had to say.

"I just wanted to see if any news came about." Yami explained his reason behind the visit.

"I am sorry to say, but I have yet to find anything." Ishizu said with an apologetic tone.

"Oh, no, that's understandable." the spirit tried to assure the woman who worked so hard. He glanced down towards the carpet lost in thoughts. The Egyptian lady looked into Yami's eyes and noticed he appeared to be a tad distracted. She decided to ask, "Is there something else on your mind?"

"How odd is it that a powerful pharaoh from five-thousand-years ago is suddenly a nobody in this modern world?" Yami casually questioned. Even if he had no memories, if he were back in Egypt, everyone would have noticed who he was. Now, he was just another someone in a store of shop that sold games.

"I assumed you have been in a little bit of shock about the world around you and the time change?" Ishizu questioned.

Yami remained quite for a moment. He really wasn't accustomed to the idea of not only having his own body, but also taking any needs necessary to survive. There was more to life than just hanging out with friends and defeating the villain of the week.

"I guess you can say that," he replied with a small smile. He glanced down at the Puzzle he wore around his neck. Although his light often called the mysterious artifact his second heart, he had decided to allow the spirit to keep it.

The upside down gold pyramid was both a home and a prison. Yami then remembered how much pleasure he was able to experience while out. He glanced back up and said, "Things aren't all bad. Perhaps I was taken out of the Puzzle to enjoy new activities… and be closer to my partner's side."

"Perhaps you were," the woman said with a smile. She stood up and insisted, "I will be sure to notify you if there is any information."

"Thank you." Yami nodded as left the room.

He strolled down the same hallway as he left the office portion of the building. He observed he was lost in his own world when he was first out of the Puzzle. He smiled when he remembered how cheerful his partner tried to remain even when the situation first appeared bleak.

Yami was able to make it back to the Turtle Game store with ease. Time passed by slowly for the spirit. He busied himself by sweeping the front of the house as well as within the building. He couldn't wait to see everyone and ask about their day. He normally was able to see parts of it from within his Puzzle. But for now, Yami was just a normal person and waited like a big brother for his younger sibling to return home.

When the time finally arrived, Yami was overfilled with joy at the sound of his partner entering. He left the den and raced towards the game store portion of the house. He could hear other voices as well and knew everyone had come by as well. The spirit grinned when he saw the usual group of friends smiling and talking. However, Yami noticed how distracted and sad Tea was. He was about to ask what was wrong he finally saw Yugi's face.

"Yugi! What happened!" Yami nearly yelled when he noticed his light had a black eye.

"Oh… um…" Yugi struggled to find an answer, "Well… you see…"

"There was a small incident," the male teen with brown hair tried to explain.

"There was a bully trying to pick on Yugi!" Joey stated.

"What!" Yami shouted with disbelief.

"It was… no big deal…" Yugi insisted as he looked away.

"Of course it is Yugi!" Yami argued, "If something like that happens, you need to tell someone!"

The small teen remained quiet. He knew his partner was right. He only nodded his head. He was then escorted to the kitchen by his darker half with everyone following. Tea went to the freezer to grab an icepack. She wrapped the cold object with a paper towel and handed it to Yami. The spirit gently placed the wrapped icepack on Yugi's eye.

"What happened?" Yami asked in a calmer tone.

"You should have been there!" Joey shouted with a grin. The pharaoh was confused about the cheerful attitude the blonde had but decided to just listen, "There was some punk picking on Yugi for who knows what but he stood his ground! The guy tried to punch him but Yugi was able to dodge almost all of the attacks! Yugi didn't run or nothing!"

Yami glanced down at his light. The adolescent stared at the ground but had a tiny smile. The spirit smiled as well. He was glad to know his light was finding the courage on his own to stand up for himself.

"Did anyone get else get hurt?" the spirit asked as he turned back to the group.

"Nope." Tristan answered, "The guy was a coward and ran off as soon as we showed up."

"But Yami, how was your day?" Yugi asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Not as adventurous as yours." Yami chuckled, "But I did manage to make it to Domino Museum and back."

"You went to go talk with Ishizu!" Yugi questioned surprised. He was at awe his darker half was able to find his way around the city without any trouble.

"What did she say?" Tristan asked with curiosity.

"Any news?" Tea joined in.

"Nothing yet." Yami replied.

"Well that's no good." Joey responded with his arms crossed.

"It should be fine as long as you're safe," the tiny teen said. Yami smiled as he said, "And you as well."

The group stuck around and chatted for awhile. Yami briefly explained about the day he had on his own. Because there was school the next day, everyone soon started to depart. Tea stuck around for a while longer. She was concerned about her two friends with tri-color hair. She was worried about Yugi after the bully incident.

"We'll both be ok." Yugi affirmed as he tried to ease his childhood friend's mind.

"If you're sure." Tea replied as she stood up. She trusted her companion's word. Before she left she added with a smile, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Yugi and Yami nodded. They were both left alone in silence for a bit. Yami soon noticed he had strange feeling in him. He wasn't sure what it was. He was about to speak with Yugi when the younger boy stood up and walked towards the stairs.

"Yugi? Where are you going?" Yami asked.

"It's been a long day." Yugi said with a cheery smile, "I'm just gonna go to my room and take a nap before I start my homework."

The petite child walked up the steps and left the older boy alone. Yami sat down on the couch. He took some time and tried to have everything register in his mind. He was perplexed. He was happy for the boy; Yugi was able to stand his ground and stay with his friends. However, Yami couldn't help but feel strange.

He felt unneeded.

"Was I brought out of the Puzzle… because Yugi… doesn't need me anymore?"

Xxx

Yugi went up to his room. He quietly closed the door behind him. He took off his blue jacket but kept the rest of his uniform on. He placed himself onto his bed and began to think. He could remember everything that took place in detail.

After class everyone went to their lockers and would meet in front of the school. Yugi was the first one done and waited impatiently for everyone. He glanced down but did not see his usual pendant. He was anxious to get home as soon as possible and meet up with his darker half. His group of friends all agreed they would walk towards the Turtle Game store together.

"_I hope he's ok_," Yugi prayed in his heart.

Soon, a tall, dark figure soon approached him and demanded something from the small student. Yugi wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't run for he would not be fast enough to get away.

He was frighten.

He was being bullied again.

He was terrified.

He couldn't hear the confident voice he usually heard when situations like these came around.

A punch was thrown and made contact with his eye.

He was lucky his friends came by in time to help defend him.

No one was hurt but him.

Yugi turned to his side with his back facing away from everything. He placed one hand on his eye; a little sting remained in that area. He was a little bit scared about what happened. A tear soon started to form. Slowly, he closed his weary eyes and tried to sleep.

"Was Yami separated from me… because I'm too weak? Am I just… holding him back?"

**To be continued…**

Chao- Hmm… Seems as though there may be a problem.

YChao- Misunderstandings much?

Chao- Looks like it.


	6. Friendship Ties

Chao- Sorry if the previous chapter was a tad… hollow…

YChao- Have you _seen _the length of your chapters?

Chao- Yeah, well, it just seems odd since some of the transition between scenes appear… weak…

YChao- Well who's fault is that?

Chao- BLEH!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 6: Friendship Ties**

Yami sat at the kitchen table alone with his fingers laced together in front of his face. Several quiet minutes sounded out by the clock on the wall trudged on. He knew he should be happy his partner was able to find courage on his own, and yet he felt out of place.

"Where's Yugi?" a voice inquired. Yami lifted his head and saw the elderly man. He sighed as he informed, "He said he would take a nap before he begins his homework."

Solomon noted the tone he received. He expected the older one to be excited when the younger one returned. He assumed the two would participate in some sort of activity together, even if it was just talking. He questioned what was happening. He asked with worry, "Is there anything wrong?"

Yami knew it was important to keep communications open between family members. He believed Yugi would have difficulty speaking about his problems right after something as significant as a spirit gaining flesh occurred. He sighed once more, "I believe someone at his school gave him a hard time."

The old man perceived the spirit referred to his grandson being bullied once more. In the past, Solomon would always try and cheer up his family member but understood since the boy's friend was out, the two should be able to speak about it first. He walked over towards the kitchen counter and began to prepare something. When he was finished, he took a plate and set it in front of the former pharaoh.

Yami looked down to see a sandwich. He glanced up towards the old man who requested cheerfully, "Would you take this up to Yugi? And could also be sure to wake him up? It would be unhealthy for him to sleep so much before bed time."

Yami nodded as he accepted his task. As he took the plate, he understood Yugi's grandfather had an idea in mind. He left the kitchen, climbed up the stairs, and stopped in front of his companion's door. He knocked softly as he called, "Yugi?"

The only response he received was silence. He knocked once more. Feeling a tad worry, he placed his hand on the knob and turned it. He opened the door to find his partner asleep on his bed. Carefully, he walked in and sat on the edge of the mattress. Despite knowing his other half had a rough day, Yami knew he shouldn't allow Yugi to sleep so much; the boy still had homework to complete and would not gain much rest during the night if he slept so late.

Gingerly, the spirit shook his partner. The gesture was an odd feeling; he was still able to touch his friend.

Yugi groggily opened his pupils half way. Glancing up, he was a tad startled to see his other half. He sat up and looked away. In his rush he tried to cover his black eye. He then greeted in a quiet, cheery tone, "Oh, hey, Yami."

"Your grandfather had asked me to wake you up." Yami explained.

"Well, I'm up," the teen laughed softly.

Looking down, he noticed he was offered a sandwich. He took one slice and gave the other to his friend. The two took a few bites of their halves while in deep thought.

Thinking back to an early notion, Yami did not want to say goodbye to his light. He believed there was still more the two needed to accomplish together. Yugi felt the same way. He wanted to prove his worth to his other half but was unsure how to carry it out.

"Um…" both of them began at the same time. The two paused as they looked at each other.

"You go ahead." they insisted as they were aware the other wanted to say something. They then glanced away as they figured both were a tad tongue tied.

Yugi believed he should speak up first. He didn't want to worry the spirit of the Puzzle, who now had his own body. But he couldn't help but try and continue to hide his injured orb. He soon started to think.

"_Why am I embarrassed of Yami seeing my black eye?_" he pondered, "_This was all a coincidence. Even if he were still in the Puzzle, I would have still gotten hit. He may have wanted to switch, but that might not have happened since my friends came_…"

He sighed heavily. Yami wanted to bring up the situation with the bully. Because the link they had was currently inoperative, he was curious to know how his partner truly felt about the situation.

"About today," they both began at the same time once more, "Um…"

"It sure was different at school without you," Yugi confessed as he glanced down. Yami looked at his partner but decided to jut listen, "Because… Well, I didn't have the Puzzle around me and I didn't get a chance to talk with you and it was weird but… I'm glad I was able to see you when I came home."

"Yes, and I am pleased you were all right. But what about after school?" Yami inquired. Knowing the subject would be difficult to bring up, he still wanted to be around his friend.

"What… what about after school," Yugi stuttered, aware of the topic.

"You did not run away from the bully."

"I… I really didn't do anything."

"But you didn't run away."

"Yes, well, I don't think I would have been fast enough."

Yugi's heart started to beat hard. To him, he sounded like a coward. He didn't want to be viewed as a weakling. He wanted to stand strong and show he could hold his own ground. Even though he missed the comfort of his other half, the adolescent wanted to at least prove himself to whoever was in charge of destiny.

"Yes, you are right." Yugi agreed, "I didn't run away; that should count for something."

The spirit wasn't sure how to feel about the situation. One moment his partner appeared to be like his usual self, timid and concerned with other people. But at that statement, he suddenly sounded a bit more confident. Yami turned his attention towards the Puzzle placed on the desk.

"It took real courage for you to hand me the Puzzle." Yami complimented, almost in defeat. He figured he couldn't stop his partner from maturing. He was always content when he saw the boy being able to stand up for himself. He pondered if it was only because he was still at the boy's side.

"I couldn't keep it with me," the teen admitted, "You were the one who lives in there; it's your home almost."

"But a home is nothing without others who care about you." Yami interjected. He hated how his spirit was trapped in the Puzzle; he was alone for years and years. What made everything worse was he had no memories of himself. Even with nothing he was ecstatic when a light finally came into his life.

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Yugi agreed, caught off guard by the quick counter. He then added, "But, you have a place to stay now."

The two looked at each other. They both had a little sorrow and sincere in them. The small teen carried on, "You live here with me and Grandpa."

Yami glanced back at the ground. He was grateful he had a place to stay but worried about how long he would be there. He was also concerned about his partner. He was the boy's protector. Terrible thoughts and worse case scenarios made its way into his mind. He was deeply troubled by this.

Yugi observed the uneasy level between him and his other self. He looked at his carpet as he recalled he was in a similar situation at the beginning of their mishap. He was assured by the spirit of the Puzzle the two would remain together. His chest tighten at the thought those words would become hollow if destiny had other ideas. The young adolescent wanted to do all he could to support his distraught other self.

"You… you managed to get to the Domino Museum by yourself." Yugi praised, "Even while I was at school, you were able to accomplish something on your own."

The former pharaoh pondered about the compliment. Even though he was viewed as a strong spirit by the young adult, Yami held some doubts within himself. He always gained reassurance from his light. He then replied, "I was able to look forward to seeing you and everyone else when you had returned home safely. I hoped nothing wrong would take place because of me."

Yugi soon began to ponder what would happen if something along those lines came true. The spirit and adolescent would work together to bring their latest enemy down. However, the two souls were always connected by the gold pendant. Even when they were together, some of their enemies had found ways to dim the light so darkness could take control and win.

"Well, maybe we should have a plan." Yugi thought out loud, "Cuz, it is true, something may happen even while we're apart."

"A plan?" Yami inquired, interested, "Do you have any notions in mind?"

"Um… Anyone who is interested in the Puzzle or our God Cards will be looking for either one of us," Yugi analyzed, "The good news though is that the ones who are interested in the Puzzle or Cards will need to duel us first. If there are just plain crooks out there, I'm sure they can be taken on with ease."

"Are you saying you would be willing to fight physically for the sake of us staying together?" Yami questioned.

The teen was silent for a moment as he thought about what had been stated. He figured if he wanted to stay strong, he would need to endure activities he disliked. He also knew his darker half often had to take part in tasks he wished had a different option, such as the Shadow Games.

"I may not want to, but I just may have to." he finally answered.

"No one is really telling you to do such a thing." the spirit tried to comfort.

"I know." the adolescent acknowledge, "But, Joey, Tristan, and Tea had all done things they may not have wanted to do. They were there for us, I think it would be fair if we carried our own weight."

Yami couldn't help but smile; he was always pleased to see his partner continued to think about others. He did his best to listen as his partner showed leadership. He recalled back to the dreaded duel with Pegasus, the young adult placed a lot of heart into a plan that succeeded in the end.

"Maybe one thing we can at least do is not travel alone." Yugi guessed, "As long as we have someone else with us, like our friends, we should be able to conquer anything."

"Perhaps you are correct about this." Yami concurred. He soon started to have doubts about the idea, "But what about when you are at school?"

"Um…" the boy stuttered. He had to attend his classes if he did not wish to fail. His family would lecture him and punish him for his grades if they were not passable. He couldn't help but sigh.

Yami understood some of the troubles to being the Puzzle bearer as well as an everyday adolescent. He placed one hand on his partner's shoulder as he advised with care, "Perhaps we should take a break from all this. You should not worry yourself with so much. You should focus on your assignments for school."

"But I won't be able to concentrate!" Yugi nearly shouted. They were both taken back by the outburst. The teen lowered his voice as he explained, "I… I just want to make sure we're both ready."

The older boy nodded. However, he didn't want to disrupt the adolescent's life. Even while in the Puzzle, the spirit felt remorse for having his companion take part in dangerous Shadow Games. While Yugi insisted in his participation, Yami would never forgive himself if he were to ever lose his light.

"As I said, don't worry so much." the taller one tried to comfort. He moved his hand to the teen's cheek. The smaller one closed his tired pupils as he enjoyed the sensation of his friend's caring touch. Yami added in a soothing voice, "I have yet to sense anything out of the ordinary."

Yugi immediately shot his eyes open as he exclaimed, "Wait, that's it!"

"What is?" the spirit questioned.

"Well, usually when something shows up, you're able to sense it." Yugi explained with Yami nodding, "And over time, I've been able to tell if something weird is up. So… maybe… as long as we can feel something, whether it is danger or either of us in trouble, we can try and meet up before anything happens."

"That's brilliant!" Yami declared with praise.

The two souls brought together by fate were overjoyed when an plan was made.

Yugi looked at the clock and laughed a little. He hadn't realized how long the he and his friend had been talking. The same thing would happen with his other buddies whether on the phone, online, or in person. Sometimes being with someone a person cares about could have him lose track of time.

"Perhaps you should start on that homework." Yami chuckled.

"Aw, but saving the world is far more fun than doing math or history." Yugi giggled.

"Just complete it." Yami pestered, "Then we can work on strategies."

"Ok." the adolescent nodded, "And tomorrow we should tell our friends about the idea. That way they'll know why we won't be able to hang out right away after school."

Yami may had been sadden with the thought of his partner sacrificing his social time but nodded once more as Yugi added, "But, we should at least tell Grandpa tonight so he'll know what's going on."

They both left the room feeling a bit lighter than before. Even though many questions floating around, at least one candle of hope was lit in a dark room. Yugi brought down his backpack and decided to work on his assignments on the kitchen table for more space.

He placed his bag on a chair and took out his many large and heavy textbooks accompanied by tons of worksheets and questions. Yami glanced down at the papers with a bit of awe; he was able to hold the work his companion needed to complete in order to receive a passing grade and move on in the world of education. He was a bit curious about how to answer information that did not deal with his past time of Duel Monsters.

Yugi watched his darker half. He wondered even if the two had to go on their separate ways if Yami would be able to function well in today's world. He wished he could skip his homework and tutor his friend. He may not liked to do his work and may even be interested in a Shadow Game than place down answers on a sheet that would be considered wrong by the instructor but correct in the book.

Just then, an idea hit the teen. He raced up towards the family's attic without mentioning a word. When he entered, he looked through a few old boxes. Some of them contained old toys, photo albums, or books covered in dust. When he found what he was searching for, he quickly went back down the steps. He entered into the kitchen out of breath.

"Yugi, is everything all right?" Yami asked, concerned about his partner's sudden change in attitude.

"Yeah," the teen replied, "Just look at this."

"What is it?" Yami asked when accepted a floppy, white book. Yugi grinned as he answered, "It's a handwriting book."

"A handwriting book?"

"Yeah, on the pages are examples of letters, how to write them, and areas for practice. I figured since we don't know how long we'll be… separated, this will give you a chance to function better in today's world."

Yami smiled as he thanked his light. He was pleased to be able to be with someone who was so caring. The two boys sat at the kitchen table together. Even though so many questions remained, such as how long they would be apart, for now they were happy to still be with one another.

As the third day of their separation drew to close, one worked on his school assignments while the other practiced his handwriting.

**To be continued…**

Chao- There, they got their little emotional conversation. BLEH!

Yugi- Yay! Now all we need is to be able to get back together!

YChao- What makes you think it'll be that easy? You know the routine!

Yugi and Yami- Gulp!

Chao- Please review


	7. That Little Thing Called Trust

Chao- Man, Chao is having less ideas with this than anything else. Come on, stupid empty mind! Think of something horrible to do to them! This should come naturally!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 7: That Little Thing Called Trust**

Yugi and Yami explained everything to the teen's grandfather during dinner. The old man nodded as he understood. The spirit would continue his work at the game store but should vanish quickly at the mere sense if something were out of place. Even though the former pharaoh may not have liked to hide right away, he comprehended this would be the best strategy. He smiled when he remembered the plan was thought up by his friend.

After the plates were cleaned up, the two resumed to their assignments. Yugi couldn't help but giggle when he saw the confused look on Yami's face. The older boy had to stop once in awhile to massage his hand.

"Getting sore?" Yugi cracked with a silly grin. Yami smirked as he replied, "Just return to completing those math problems."

Yugi sighed out of irritation; he wasn't understanding the relationship between the complicated formulas and variables. He huffed, "Forget it, I'll work on it later."

Yami chuckled as his partner switched from math to history. He then glanced down at his own work. He was able to handle the swerves, but controlling a letter or character appearing not too short or too narrowed proved to be far more of a challenge. Despite that, the markings left by the pencil granted the spirit power he never possessed before. He gained a thrill in placing together messages with what he had learned. Aside from placing a character on a sheet, he couldn't wait to start using the letters and placing them together to express words and sentences.

"And what is so funny at this moment?" Yami questioned when his light giggled once more. The boy grinned as he answered, "Just that maybe I should have taught you how to properly use a computer for stuff other than games since no one actually _writes _anymore."

"Perhaps you should have." the spirit replied, "That is, if you are finished with your assignments."

The teen grumbled. He was nearly done but had yet to complete his math problems. Even after his mini break, he just couldn't figure out how to solve the complicated problems. He understood most of the formulas and how to work basic arithmetic, but something was slipping from his grasp.

"Yugi, if you're struggling with your homework then go see your teacher tomorrow." Solomon advised. The young adult sighed with vexation, "I don't want to wake up extra early just to get help for something I'll never use again!"

"The only time it does matter is for your test!" the store owner brought up, "And your grades are important!"

"Ugh," the adolescent mumbled. The spirit smiled as he agreed, "Yugi, perhaps it would be best if you went over for a little tutoring."

Yugi lifted up his head and glanced over at his partner with sad eyes. He then retorted, "But I'll have to leave earlier and that'll give us less time together… in the morning."

The former pharaoh understood his partner needs. He, too, wished for them to be together if they were to go on their separate paths. However, Yami couldn't have his friend fall behind in school just because an ancient spirit suddenly took residence at the boy's place. He smiled and shook his head. He had to do what was best for his companion.

"You should go and request for help." Yami encouraged, "You never know. You may one day need to apply what you know to life, like this 'writing' technique."

Yugi couldn't help but rekindle his smile at the remark. He reluctantly agreed.

The next morning, the young adult woke up earlier so he could leave ahead of his normal schedule. He passed by the couch, and saw his other self still asleep. He was about to wake up his pal when he backed out of the idea. Looking over, he saw a floppy book with a few pencils around, many worn down while others had bare bottoms where the lead was missing. The spirit had obviously been practicing his handwriting into the night.

"_Maybe… maybe I should just let him be_." Yugi thought, "_He's been working really hard lately. It wouldn't be fair to him if I wasn't giving my best_."

The student prepared his lunch silently. He figured he could eat his morning food on his way over, or at least after he received help since he would have extra time to spend before the start of school. As he reached for the door handle, he glanced back over.

"_Have a good day, Yami_."

And with that, Yugi had left for another day of education.

The former pharaoh awoke a couple of hours later. He glanced around and observed how quiet the entire house seemed. He yawned as he sat up from his bed. Rubbing his eyes, he looked down at his work. His muscles in his hands continued to be a tad sore from his previous lesson.

Slowly, Yami stood up and walked into the kitchen. He was surprised to see no one else in the room. There weren't any packed lunches or dishes left on the table. He looked over to the clock and wondered how much longer his partner would remain in bed. His eyes widen he realized how much time had passed.

"I can't believe how long I slept!" Yami yelled stunned.

"Is everything ok?" Solomon asked as he entered the same area. The spirit turned to face the store keeper, "Did Yugi already leave?"

"He left awhile back." the old man answered. Yami glanced down at the floor, and replied softly, "Oh."

"Is something the matter?" Solomon questioned at the caught of the distraught tone. The spirit only shook his head; he didn't wish to bother either of the Mutou family with his own emotion.

"Well, if you're sure." Solomon shrugged, "You can clean the windows after you eat."

Yami nodded. He walked over to the cupboard, and pulled out a box of cereal. He had seen his partner eat from the same container so he figured he would try it out. As he poured the crunchy corn puffs and smooth, white liquid, he became lost in thought.

"_He didn't wake me at all_." he reflected sadly, "_I would have at least liked to have wished for him to enjoy a good day at school_."

After he finished eating, the boy placed away his bowl. He went to use the bathroom and washed his hands. When he was set for the day, he went to one of the pantry where the cleaning supplies were kept. Reaching for a clear squirt bottle to clean the windows and a few gray washcloths, he began his own work like normal.

As he did his job, he would occasionally look up to the sky or just stare out into space. Even though he did not sense anything out of the ordinary, he couldn't help but be worried about his partner. When the washing of the windows had been completed, Yami went indoors to find another chore to work on.

Solomon had been watching the spirit carefully. He had an idea as to what had been troubling the ancient pharaoh. He decided to bring up the concern as the two ate their lunch

"Yami, perhaps one reason you had been released from the Puzzle is for a test." Solomon guessed as he understood some aspects of the Millennium Item. The spirit glanced over in confusion.

"You and Yugi both have wonderful teamwork when you two are together. Just look at what you both accomplished over at Battle City." the old man brought up with a cheerful expression, "But now that you two are not together-"

"I'm overly worrying myself." the former pharaoh caught on.

"But you are not alone in your concern for Yugi." the elderly man emphasized with. He cleared his throat then persisted, "Back to before Yugi was in high school, he often had trouble standing up for himself. He didn't mention his problems to his parents or me, but I could tell something had been going on. But rather than demand for answers right away, I instead continued to encourage him to do his best. You'd be surprised just what he manages to achieve when he has others believe in him."

Yami scooted back from his seat with his legs straighten out and his arms crossed as he thought. Despite having the temporary plan set in motion, the spirit still carried doubt in his heart. He knew if anyone would be after him, the villain would go after the boy first. Yugi would only be used as bait but would still be abused in the process. The adolescent appearing being shuddered a bit when he remembered what happened to the boy in the duel with the evil mind of one belonging to their many enemies.

Then again, Yugi continued to demonstrate his own strength.

"I understand." the spirit nodded, "This all could be a trust exercise for both Yugi and myself. When facing another duelist, I often feel if I fail, I would only harm Yugi. But since he managed to remain strong, he was able to be my light in my time of need. Even now, he's able to show courage for the both of us."

Yami's heart sank a bit. Even though his partner managed to display his dedication, the spirit persisted to ponder just how long the two would be together. If the boy doesn't need to have the spirit by his side, perhaps there would be no need for the formal pharaoh at all. He wonder what he could do that would not stifle his partner from growing, but allow himself to extend his invitation to live with his friend.

"Were do you think he gets he courage from?" Solomon chuckled when he observed how troubled Yami still seemed. He was overjoyed when he saw just how much his grandson had grown after spending so much time with an ancient spirit.

Yami smiled. He recalled how often the younger of them would always be excited just to see him. Whenever Yugi had experienced doubt, Yami would be there for him and remind him just how fortunate he was. He was also glad the boy was able to keep a good heart even after all his odd ends with bullies and being alone.

Yami nodded, "Yes, you are correct. I will need to have faith within Yugi as he does with me."

The two began to work with chores once more.

Xxx

Yugi yawned after he went over his quiz. He may not have enjoyed waking up early and leaving so soon, but he was pleased he did. Because he went in early and asked for tutoring, he was able to complete his work promptly.

He turned his attention out the window. His math period was one of the few classes he didn't have with any friends, which is why he couldn't ask any one of them for assistance. Then again, perhaps it would have been best if the student had gone to see the teacher, who understood the material better than most pupils and explain it in a way his young mind could comprehend.

Before the start of school, his companions were a bit surprised to see him in their homeroom, munching away on his breakfast. They were curious to know the reason behind the early arrival but asked even more questions about the spirit. They all had a laugh after hearing the story about the aged soul learning to write a modern day alphabet system.

As he continued with his view, Yugi couldn't wait for school to be over. He wanted to be with his darker self once more. Keeping his emotions to himself, he still felt odd without the spirit by his side or the Puzzle around him. Deep down, he felt lonely.

When the bell rang for the end of class, the student stood up and passed in his papers. He walked down the hallway where he was greeted by Joey. The two began to head together towards their next class. As the two moved along, Yugi would only nod occasionally but kept quiet. Joey noticed this and asked, "Yug, everything ok?"

"Yeah, guess I'm still a bit tired." the teen replied. What he gave was only half the truth, but the teen didn't want to worry anyone else. He knew he had to remain strong, even when this was all new and tough for him. But, perhaps not as much as the teen believed. There was a time in his life where he didn't need to worry about a villain chasing him around for the gold pendant or having a voice inside of him. His heart became troubled if his life would go back to the lonely lifestyle.

As the two boys entered and took their seats, Joey picked up a conversation with Duke. Yugi, on the other hand, couldn't help but remain distracted. He hoped Yami was fine. He shuddered what may happen not only to the possible villain, but also to the former pharaoh. His mind began to speculate the possibilities of his other self not only participating in a Shadow Game, but allowing his darker instincts to take over. He then wondered if the two were apart was because the darker spirit had his ways changed and no longer needed a light in his life.

The boy quickly shook his head at the horrible notion.

"_No!_" Yugi tried to discourage himself, "_Yami has changed a lot. He promised he would listen to me more! We're a team and nothing can break that! If we ever get together again… WHEN we get together again, we'll always be there for each other_."

Once his inner issues had been settled, Yugi went to join the conversation between his classmates.

Xxx

Yami looked over at the clock and knew his partner would soon be arriving. He told himself to not be nosy when it came to knowing how his other self did at school. Moving on with his work diligently, he wanted to be sure he had done his job correctly as he was aware how hard his partner had been doing so in his studies.

"_I had wished for myself to be closer to Yugi_." Yami reflected as he wiped down a counter, "_Perhaps one option to achieve this was to endure a trust exercise with him_."

His heart became ecstatic to hear an innocent voice call out, "I'm home!"

Yami hurriedly raced over to where his partner was. He was a bit surprised to see his friend and no one else around. He still smiled as he said, "Welcome back."

Yugi's heart leaped with joy when he was greeted by his companion. He raced over to his pal and the two gave each other a quick hug. The two felt as though they were real brothers. They then walked together towards the kitchen where Yugi went to reach for a snack.

"Did you have a nice day at school?" Yami asked as he began the conversation. The teen nodded, "Yeah, did you have fun working all day instead of being cooped up in the Puzzle?"

The spirit couldn't help but chuckle. They both soon were silence by the last remark. Neither of them really needed information about either's day; the two had always had the link between. Yugi wasn't sure what else to say but Yami questioned, "Where is everyone?"

"Yami, we may be superheroes and friends, but we all do have our own lives." Yugi remarked with the pharaoh laughing once more. The latter was pleased to see the former still well and not having new bruises found anywhere.

Just then, Yami's stomach growled as well. Yugi smiled then suggested, "You should eat a snack. I'll be right back."

Yami nodded as the smaller one walked towards his room. The one with sharp violet eyes went to the counter and grabbed a banana. As he munched on the fruit, he promised he would do his best to have faith in his light.

Xxx

"Find an artifact that has great meaning to you and write a rough draft about it for the end of the week." the teen read his instructions to himself. He had gone upstairs in search of a new eraser for his school bag. He glanced around his room.

Obvious objects that caught his eyes were books and small prizes he won at the arcades. He knew he could write down around two pages of telling his tale about the time he and his friends played a couple of rounds, and when he had won enough tickets, he was able to exchange them for small gifts. There were also a few other items buried beneath his dim closet underneath piles of worn out clothing he was too lazy to pick up and hang.

As he continued scanning, his grin began to fade as his eyes ventured deeper to what had been covered by many friendly toys, other knick knacks, and grime. He had plenty of single player games and packs of cards hidden away on dusty shelves. Pleasant and unpleasant memories entered his heart, just like before.

He glanced over towards his desk. Remaining in the same spot lied the gold upside down pyramid. The adolescent stretched over to reach for it. He examined the item carefully. Regardless of how many times he held the ancient artifact in his hands, he never ceased to be amazed by it. The Puzzle took him eight years to solve and had changed his life.

The boy started to think. The object had carried the soul of his friend, who now resided down stairs for an unknown reason. He began to wonder what he could say about an item that had transformed his life forever without making the composition sound too cheesy or too personal.

Once he found his subject for his paper, the boy smiled.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Debating how to spice up some of this plain, emotional angst/drama.

Yami- You're making me go through a typical mother worrying about her child.

Chao- Yeah… Guess this is just a bit hard since this IS more emotional as oppose to the usual emotional-getting-in-way-of-fighting-villain story... Please review


	8. Distance?

Chao- Hmm… Seems as though the readers want to the two to talk out their problems… Oh, well! On wards with this chapter that was semi written ahead of time!

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 8: Distance?**

"Ok, Yami," Yugi began as he and his other self sat in front of the computer, "Let's try and teach you about other computer usage." 

"Right, because the two of us spending time on an online game, battling a villain planning to take over the world through the Internet means absolutely no threat." Yami replied.

"Geez, ever since you had been separated from the Puzzle, you sure have gotten even more sarcastic." Yugi observed in a slightly annoyed tone.

"It must be from being around your friends much more often than I usually am." Yami guessed.

"No, I think it's from the dumb daytime TV programs you watch while I'm not here." the small teen retorted while defending his classmates.

"And it seems you have learned how to be so cruel on your own." the spirit countered with a phony hurt tone, "Haven't you learn from the show with the talking animals attending school to accept your friends the way they are?"

The adolescent raised an eyebrow before questioning, "What have you been _watching_?"

The two laughed off the situation before moving on with the next lesson. Yugi had taught his other self the basic usage of operating a writing program. Yami had been thrilled to gain a new power when he wrote with a writing stick containing lead; now he could type up his thoughts whether on a program or through an e-mail. Yugi had demonstrated parts of his own work by showing the spirit a few school assignments from awhile back. Yami was fascinated to move the mouse and click on old files with gibberish names since the owner had been too lazy to type a proper title.

"Hmm… Ancient Artifact Essay?" he questioned, "What's that?"

He moved the mouse over and was about to click it when Yugi reached for the control and ordered, "No! Don't open that!"

"Why? What's wrong?" Yami questioned. He then chuckled when he saw how red his partner's face had turned. Yugi stammered, "That's something private! You don't open other people's files without permission!"

"But you did grant me access." Yami replied. Yugi nearly yelled, "Well don't open that one!"

"Then why is it located within your school folder?" Yami asked.

The teen did not wish to answer the question. Instead, he quickly pulled out a typing game. He reached for a CD-ROM and placed the disk into the correct slot. A little window had open and displayed a character jumping around while attempting to hit blocks with the letters marked within.

"Here!" he instructed while remaining in a testy mood, "Play around with this!"

Yami could only chuckle once more in his reply. After Yugi stood up and exited the room, the spirit's smile dwindled a bit. He focused his attention towards the game. He gained a pleasure in controlling the character jumping but his mind soon began to wander. He recalled back to the time when he played Dungeon Dice Monsters. There was a small screen he needed to operate in order to properly play. Even though he was a game master, Yami knew he had borrowed pieces of his partner's knowledge in order to understand how to work a computer in the first place.

"_Yugi and I are a team_." Yami reflected, "_We had always been there for each other to support one another. But lately… Yugi appears as though he is hiding something. He's always in this room after dinner and requests to be alone. I understand he needs his privacy if he is working on homework, but even while we were connected, I would sometimes be on his mattress as he completed worksheets. Sure, we would joke once in awhile, but he never had to request privacy for school work before… I hope everything is fine with him._"

As the next level for the game was loading, the pharaoh crossed his arms and pondered. He had been tempted to peak into the file his light had ordered for him not to open. He respected the boy's privacy, but he couldn't help but remain curious.

He leaned forward and shook his head, "_Yugi and I are friends, but I don't need to know every single little detail in his life. He has a right to be his own person_."

Yami persisted with his lesson, but his heart had been troubled once more. Despite having a plan and the continuation of speaking with each other, the spirit couldn't help but have his mind clouded with the possibility his partner may no longer need him. He tried over and over to tell himself to trust his other half but doubt continued to linger.

The week proceeded on smoothly. There were no signs of danger or any problems arising. The Puzzle bearer and the spirit who had once dwelled within persisted with their temporary plan. Yugi had been attending to his studies and his group of friends would join him and their other companion over at the Turtle Game Store. Yami had been able to keep with all his chores as well as learn a few other modern day lessons, such as reading materials other than what had been printed on Duel Monster cards.

A weekend came around and the two friends managed to have a great time with being around their other companions. Yami couldn't believe what had taken place in one week since his separation from his partner. He continued to try his best to be with his light, but he did not wish to smoother the boy with his own worry and concern. Yugi felt the same way. As much as he wanted to be by his darker half, he had to allow his friend to learn more about the modern world on his own. He had to prove he would still be around with the pharaoh needed him.

When school came, the departure between the two became easier. Less stress laid among their heats, but both were still overjoyed to see one another at the end of the day. Yugi continued with his lessons while the spirit worked on his chores. His new body, however, had yet to adjust to working for so long.

"You've been working really hard lately. Why don't you go ahead and take a nap," Solomon offered one day.

"Well… all right." Yami agreed. Glancing at a clock, he smiled. He noticed it would be time soon for Yugi and everyone to leave school and visit their usual hang out spot, the game store. He couldn't wait to see everyone and did not want to fall asleep in a middle of a conversation.

Yami walked over towards his usual couch that was his bed and made himself comfortable. He looked out the window and noticed how cloudy the outer world become. Thinking nothing of it, he shut his eyes and allowed himself to drift off into sleep. He smiled when he noticed how nice it was to doze off as the patter of water descended down.

Outside, rain started to fall. The beginning was light, but as time progressed, the storm grew heavier and heavier. A flash of lightning quickly followed by a loud roar of thunder came about. The loud crash caused the boy to wake up.

"What was that?" Yami asked himself as he sat up. He looked out and noticed the change in weather. He then glanced over towards the umbrella bin and noticed Yugi did not take one with him.

"He'll catch a cold if he's not careful!" Yami shouted. He jumped off from his bed and ran towards the front door. He remembered in the past about how once or twice his partner had managed to become unwell due his body losing heat while being around others who already had been ill.

"Wait!" Solomon called out. Yami stopped in his tracks to see what the old man needed to say.

"You should take a jacket and an umbrella for yourself," the man advised, understanding the former pharaoh's idea. Yami nodded.

Quickly, he went to grab a jacket on a hook on a wall. He then swiftly reached for two umbrellas. After opening the front door, he sprinted down towards Yugi's school. He carefully passed by other pedestrians who, too, wanted to get out of the downpour.

Because of his concern about his partner's well being, the spirit did not have time to enjoy, or even notice, the new sensation of rain. His heavy breathing and heart racing kept his mind from registering the fall of cold water from the sky to his skin. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to run far for he saw a group of familiar faces.

"Ah, there they are!" Yami said with joy. In his view he could see the two, tall male students happily proving their masculinity by walking in the rain. Behind them was Tea, who was holding an umbrella with Yugi walking underneath. The smile on Yami's face soon faded when he saw Yugi wearing a jacket above his head and shivering a little.

"Hey! There's Yami!" Joey announced to the group. Everyone quicken their pace so they could reunite with their friend.

"Hello, everyone." Yami greeted. He then quickly turned his attention towards his partner, "Yugi, what happened?"

"I fell into a big puddle of water," the small teen informed with an embarrassed smile. Joey took one umbrella from Yami while Yugi went towards his darker half's side.

The group merrily continued on with their usual route. Joey was bragging about an idea he had while Tristan and Tea mocked him for it. Yami kept one hand on the handle and the other on Yugi. He soon noticed how tired the petite adolescent appeared. When everyone arrived at the Turtle Game Shop, the door was locked.

"W-wasn't Grandpa here b-before you left?" Yugi asked with his teeth chattering.

"Yes," Yami replied, "Maybe he went out on an errand?"

Yugi took out a key from his pocket and tried to unlock the door. Because his grip on the metal was not tight, he was experiencing trouble turning the object. Yami offered to help out the smaller boy.

When the door was open, everyone could see just how dark the inside was. Yugi went in first and turned on the lights as the rest of the group placed their umbrellas in a bin and dried themselves off. Yugi was about to grab some warm drinks for everyone when he nearly lost his balance. Tea was the first one to grab a hold of him. She placed one hand on her friend's forehead.

"You're feeling a bit warm," she informed.

"I am?" Yugi asked confused. He then placed his own hand to feel himself.

"Maybe you should lie down for a bit." Tristan suggested.

Yugi nodded as he was feeling a tad sleepy. Joey grabbed hold of the boy and assisted him to climbing the stairs. Tristan followed the two while Yami and Tea went in search for extra blankets. They planned to pass them out so no one else would become sick.

Once some were found, the two of them walked towards Yugi's room. Inside the young teen already changed into his pajamas and was sitting in his bed. Tea entered and placed one of the extra blankets on Yugi's bed. Yami was about to enter when he was stopped.

"Yami wait, don't come any closer!" Yugi warned.

"What?" Yami asked confused.

"He's right." Tea agreed as she took the blankets away from the older boy, "We may not know how your body may react to Yugi's fever."

Yami took a step back. He couldn't believe what he was being told. He had to be away from his partner as the boy was ill. He wanted to be around his friend, but now he couldn't. Unhappily, he turned his back and left the room.

Tea wanted to go after the older boy; she couldn't bear to see him depressed. However, she did not want to leave her childhood friend either. She was glad at first to see the two still getting along even after the separation, but now it appeared as though the whole act was becoming difficult. She felt torn in two.

"Why don't you go and check in on Yami?" Yugi suggested, understanding his companion's dilemma.

"Yeah, we'll be fine up here." Joey added with his usual smile.

Tea nodded and left the room.

Xxx

Yami sat at the kitchen table alone with his hands covering his face. Back to when he was in the Puzzle, he was able to watch over his light, even when the boy was sick. There was no need to fear the spirit from catching any disease for he did not have an official body of his own, just a borrowed one. Now he was shunned for the Puzzle bearer did not wish for any harm to come to his darker half.

"Hey," greeted a sweet, feminine voice. Yami didn't bother to move; he already knew who was there to be with him.

"Are you feeling ok," she asked even though she already knew the answer. Yami sat back and sighed. Tea knew that expression but did not say anything. She allowed her friend to speak first.

"I just feel so distant from him…" he confessed in a gloomy tone, "I assumed with me being out of the Puzzle I could be more at his side but now… I'm being pushed away."

"You know Yugi is only trying to protect you, right?"

"Yes, I am aware of that."

"I'm sure he doesn't want to lose you from something as common as a fever."

The spirit was quiet. He knew what was stated was true. He wasn't sure what would happen to him if he were to be contaminated by the disease. A part of him feared if anything would lead to that, he would be at even greater distant from Yugi.

The female adolescent watched her friend. She already witnesses how the spirit of the Puzzle becomes whenever he was separated from his partner. Upstairs, the three boys were enjoying each other's company, and yet, one more friend was down in the kitchen, apart from the happy group. Tea brainstormed any ideas of how Yugi and Yami could be there for each other without hurting one another.

"I have an idea," she began with a gently smile. The boy glanced over towards his companion's direction to hear, "And I'm going to need your help."

Xxx

Yugi laughed a bit at one of Joey's cheesy jokes. Tristan, on the other hand, sighed with discontent. The blond was insulted by this and the two started to argue once more.

"Will you boys behave for just five minutes," instructed a sarcastic female voice. The group of males were surprised to see Tea and Yami brought up some drinks. Joey and Tristan settled down for a bit so they could enjoy some of the warm beverages. The girl walked into the room while the other person stood in the doorway. He looked towards the ill teen and smiled.

Yugi glared down at his sheets. He felt guilty for sending his friend away, but he did not wish to lose him from an illness. He looked back up to see Yami continued to smile. A small one grew on Yugi's young face as his eyes sparked gratitude.

Everyone else took a seat on the ground. Yami placed himself in the doorway. The adolescents continued to chat about the school day, classes, TV shows, and other activities. All were glad to see their small friend did not appear so pals as before. After everyone left, Yami gathered up the cups and placed them on his tray.

He was about to exit when he heard, "Wait!"

"Yes?" Yami asked calmly as he slightly turned around.

"Yami… I…" Yugi struggled to say what was on his mind.

Yami continued to smile as he said, "It's all right. Just try to rest."

After the older one left, Yugi made himself comfortable. He may disliked to have to be a little distant from his darker half, but he was glad his other self found a way to be with him. Yugi couldn't help but sigh. He noticed the spirit had not given up with him being with him even though the adolescent had sent him away.

In the corner of his puppy dog eyes, he saw his bag with a paper falling out a bit. Not wanting anyone to see it, he reached for it and examined it. The paper was his essay he had to turn in for his English class. He couldn't help but smile when he re-read what his teacher commented about his work.

"_Nicely written first draft. I feel as though I can hear your own voice within the composition. Your best work so far for this class. I look forward to reading your final draft_."

After speaking with his teacher, he became aware of some of his grammatical errors and parts of his paragraphs appearing cluttered. He was determine to fix it up so his final essay would receive a good grade. He may not have been the best at writing, but he hoped this piece would be something he could be proud of.

Yugi glanced over towards the gold box and Puzzle. He wasn't about to let his heart be troubled with all these strange instances he had endured recently. He wanted to prove he could hold himself. He closed his eyes and was driven to be well once more.

The following morning, the adolescent was up and prepared for school as normal. Both his grandfather and friends questioned if he was truly well enough to make it through an entire day. They had both suggested the teen stay home for one day. Yugi shook his head. As much as he wanted to stay with his darker half, he needed to continue living with his own life. Yami may have disliked being away from his partner even more, but he had felt the same.

**To be continued…**

Chao- And so about a week went by.

Yugi- Why are you causing me so much torture?

Chao- Torture? Aren't you glad you're going through a trial in order to improve your strength?

Yugi- Um…

YChao- He's probably just ok with the idea of him being a shrimp for life.

Yugi- No I'm not!

Chao- And neither is Chao! (attempts to lift up 1lb dumbbells) So… please… review…


	9. Dividing a Heart Part 1

Chao- Tra la la la la!… What?

Yugi- When are you going to have me and Yami reunite?

YChao- After the huge emotional break through and end of the climax, duh.

Chao- Or maybe tomorrow… or never…

"Talking."

"_Thinking._"

**Chapter 9: Dividing a Heart Part 1**

"Hey, Yugi!" Joey greeted with a huge smile scribbled on his bright face as he and Tristan arrived in the classroom.

"Hi, guys!" Yugi waved with joy from his desk while sitting next to Tea.

"You seem a lot better than yesterday." Tristan observed.

"Yup," Yugi nodded, "Guess I just needed a good night's sleep."

"Yeah, it would have sucked if you had gotten really sick, then we couldn't have a round of Duel Monsters today!" Joey agreed as he pulled out his deck from his pocket. He then brought up with pride, "I've been working on a new strategy that I've been _dying _to try out!"

"You're on!" Yugi accepted. He went through his bag in search of his deck. His game grin faded when he didn't locate what he needed. Searching through his supplies once more, he had yet to find his cards. What remained in his bag were a few textbooks and a pencil case with a Dark Magician theme.

"Yo, Yug, what's up?" the blonde questioned as he noticed the pause in action.

"I… I must have my deck at home," the small teen replied sheepishly.

"But you always have your deck with ya," Joey groaned. Tristan nodded, "Yeah, I was hoping to see Joey's plan backfire and then get his butt kicked once again."

"Hey! I've made it pretty far in the tournaments!" the teen with honey colored eyes protested. The tallest adolescent with brown hair pointed out, "Far ain't close enough to winner!"

As the two males began to argue, Yugi started to think. He came to realize for the past week, he hadn't been carrying his pack of special cards with him to school or anywhere else. He then laughed slightly, and the act caught everyone's attention. They turned to see a pair of puppy dog orbs that appeared innocent, but also had a hint of sadness in the back.

"It's ok that I don't have my deck with me." Yugi began in a distant tone, "I think Yami will need it more than me. If… if anything were to happen… he would be the one to stop the Shadow Realm."

"Are you sure about that?" Tea asked. The boy with tri-color hair nodded, "Yeah."

"But what about you?" Tristan asked with concern, "What about those guys who may be after us?"

Yugi lowered his eyes. When he had made the plan in anticipation for when a villain does come around, he hadn't calculated the variable about the usage of the deck. What was once one body with two souls now laid two souls in two different bodies. The act of teamwork would prove to be far more of a challenge than originally created.

"Yeah," Joey agreed, "You, me, and Yami will need to find time to start practicing again. Ya know, just in case."

The petite student was lost in thought; he hadn't really brought to mind about the game. He and his other self had always used the same deck together and placed in their accounts about which cards to place in. Even though he promised he'd root for his other self during the match, Yugi wondered about himself. A deck that had been formed by two hearts were now apart.

He didn't have time to find an answer for the bell rang; signifying the start of class. Yugi tried his best to focus, but he was soon distracted by a new problem.

Xxx

Yami sat at the kitchen table alone and in silence. Laid flat out on the surface was his handwriting book; he had been practicing his letters once more. He reached for different writing instruments and had fun experimenting with them. He liked how he could erase mistakes with the pencil but loved the way the pen appear so professional. Scribbling with markers or crayons were fun and colorful but weren't so great with making small characters.

Because not every single chore needed to be performed each day, the spirit had been using his free time to work on his lessons. He understood a bit as to what it was like to sit at a single place all day while having to focus. He had to admit even he grew bored at times. He now had more empathy with his partner whenever Yugi allowed his mind to wander during a lecture.

He chuckled a bit. As he stretched his arms, he glanced out the window. Beyond the glass, the former pharaoh looked out and saw two blue birds flying around. He then hunched over a bit. He wished he had someone he could talk to. Speaking with the elderly man was fine, but it wasn't the same as with Yugi. He couldn't wait for the school day to end.

As he chewed on his delicious pencil, Solomon entered and said it was time to prepare for lunch. Yami nodded. He scooted out from his chair and gathered his papers to make room for the plates. He went upstairs and entered the bathroom to wash his hands. When he was done, he walked down the hallway and entered into Yugi's room. The space was covered in cheerful sunlight, just like the owner. Even after all this time, Yami was still not accustomed to entering into the empty room that belonged to his companion. He longed for the days where he would see his partner smiling even after just returning to the room after a shower or a chat on the phone.

His eyes wandered over to the desk. On the table laid the Puzzle box and deck of cards. Yami strolled closer to a few of his treasures. He came to realize no one had played the game in a bit. Everyone had been hanging out with both Yugi and Yami. The spirit pondered behind the reason. He also brought to mind that his light did not carry the deck with him to school or anywhere else. He grew concern. He wondered if Yugi purposely left the cards behind so the pharaoh would have their trusted monsters by his side if anything were to happen.

"_Then what about Yugi?_" Yami pondered, "_Will he be all right… without a deck? Should he be the one carrying it? Or…"_

His eyes lowered when he thought, "_Or maybe everyone is done with the game_…"

The spirit left the room and went go join the store owner in the perfection of cutting up vegetables.

Xxx

The blonde and tri-color hair students walked together towards the game shop. Their other two classmates were busy with separate plans. The two who remained at least found something to do; they both decided to work with their cards.

"Am I glad to be playing again!" Joey cheered, "Class was _so _boring that all I could think about was busting out my Red Eyes and kicking things up!"

"You don't think the Industrial Revolution in Europe was interesting?" Yugi asked laughing, feeling a bit the same way.

"Man, hopefully now I'll be able to show you my kick butt strategy!" the taller male grinned. The smaller one came to stop. Joey did as well and questioned, "Yug, what's up now?"

The boy started thinking once more. He wondered if he truly was the correct person for his friend to try a new strategy. He had played his companion multiple times, but for something as important as dealing with a foe, Yugi had always allowed his other self to take control.

"Um… Maybe you should try your new idea by playing Yami." Yugi recommended a bit shyly. Joey thought about the proposal. He had great amount of respect for the two with violate eyes. He, too, wanted to be of assistance if something were to come along. He smiled as he suggested, "Why don't you and me duel first, and then I'll play Yami? That way I can get good opinions from you both."

Yugi smiled; he was glad to hear his judgment mattered. He nodded greatly in agreement. When the two arrived at the Turtle Game store, Solomon was there to welcome them both.

"Hi, Grandpa." the teen greeted. He then looked around and asked, "Where's Yami?"

"I believe he's taking a shower." the old man explained, "Earlier he had accidentally knocked over his can of juice and it spilled all over him."

"Oh, man, do I know _that _feeling!" Joey laughed with Yugi nodding. The petite student then informed his guardian, "Ok, we'll be up in my room practicing our strategies."

The two friends entered into Yugi's room. They placed down their bags and made space for them to play by moving around old piles of clothing and game boards. Once everything had been settled, Joey took his deck from his pocket as Yugi walked over to his desk. His cards had remained in the same area. He began to wonder if he's other half had ever flipped through their cards, or made any changes while he was away. Quickly, he picked up the stack and began what remained. To his relief, nothing was different.

"_I'm being paranoid_." Yugi scolded himself, "_If Yami were to make any changes, he would tell me… or, he would at least talk with me and we would come to an agreement on something_."

"All right, Yug, you ready!" Joey challenged with pride.

"You bet I am!" Yugi called.

Xxx

Yami stepped out of the bathroom in a fresh black muscle shirt and pants with a fluffy towel wrapped around his neck. As he made his way to his partner's bedroom, he thought, "_I don't know which juice is stickier, apple or grape_…"

He was surprised to hear laughter coming from his light's room. He smiled when he realized his companion was finally home. He quickened his steps so he could greet his pal. He may have wished to be downstairs earlier, but now he was able to be with his friend. As he opened the door, he saw both Yugi and Joey playing a round of Duel Monsters. The spirit's heart leaped for joy when he saw how much cheer came from the game seen in the boys' eyes.

"I win!" Yugi declared with victory. Joey groaned, "Aw, I thought I had you!"

The two looked over and saw another comrade with tri-color hair. Yugi smiled when he saw his darker half, "Hi, Yami."

"What's up, Yami!" Joey howled with laughter.

"I see you two are playing a round of Duel Monsters." the spirit observed in a delighted tone.

"Yup," the small teen nodded, "And it doesn't take a genius to know who won."

"Hey!" the blonde protested, "I expected that from Tea and Tristan, but not you Yug!"

"Sorry, Joey." Yugi giggled, "But you really had a few good moves though."

"Did he really?" Yami asked as he took a seat on the carpet.

"Why don't you be the judge of that." Yugi insisted. Joey nodded, "Yeah, let's you and me play a quick game!"

Yami smirked, "I accept."

As the two drew their cards, the former pharaoh's heart was beating with anticipation once more. The sentiment was different; rather than anxiety pumping through, the emotion was a positive adrenaline. He was glad to be playing the game with monsters and magic once more. He was especially thankful to be competing without the use of dark charms or lives hanging in the balance.

Yugi had excused himself to go get a drink of water. It's not that he found the match boring, but he was just really thirsty. When he returned back to his room from the kitchen, the game was over. Joey tossed his cards to the ground and groaned, "Ugh, two loses in a row! One from Yug, and one from Yami!"

"True." Yami agreed, "But that new strategy you thought of truly did work."

"You think so?" Joey asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Both light and dark nodded. The slow witted student boasted with pride. His eyes then became series as he asked, "When was the last time you both changed your deck?"

Yugi and Yami glanced at each other. They then shrugged. Joey expressed his concern, "I don't mean to sound so negative, but some of your guys' moves were predictable. I know the separation might be hard, but we all gotta be on our toes in case something does happen."

The two partners looked at each once more. They understood their deck needed to constantly change since many fans and enemies were watching their every move, some literally. Joey then smiled, "Well, who ever does come after us will be sorry! They're gonna have to put up with us and our awesome strategies!"

Everyone laughed. The tallest boy stood up and informed he needed to be leaving; fight or no fight, the day was still a school night. Yami and Joey made their way over to the door, but Yugi appeared lost in thought.

Yami turned and called out, "Yugi?"

"Hmm?" Yugi replied, "Oh, sorry. I'll be down in a moment."

"Ok." Joey acknowledged.

He and Yami began their descent down the stairs. Before the student had the chance to leave, a paper flew out of his bag. Yami picked it up and gave it back. He held back his laughter after seeing so many red marks.

"Writing ain't my strong suit!" the blonde defended himself.

"What are you writing about?" Yami questioned with a soft smile. Joey grew confused, "Didn't Yug tell you?"

"Well… no… Not really."

"That's understandable. Who wants to talk about school assignments? Anyways, it's just some essay about some thing that means something to us."

"And what is your artifact?"

"What else? My Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

"I see."

"Yeah, Tristan is going on about his BB gun while Tea is-"

"Talking about her first pair of ballet shoes?"

"You guessed it!"

"Well, I'm sure he will mention it one day or another."

"Uh huh. But, um, what do you and Yug have planned with your guys' deck?"

"I am truly unsure at the moment."

"Well, if anything at school occurs, just know that I'll be there for him and back him up."

"Thanks, Joey."

" No prob. See ya later, Yami!"

The spirit nodded. After his friend had left, Yami realized his light hadn't come down like he said he would. Before he had the chance to see what had been taking so long, Solomon had asked the pharaoh to start chopping vegetables for dinner. Yami nodded. He figured he could allow his partner to finish up some homework in the time it took to prepare the meal. As he cut away, he was still pleased to know his partner and everyone still had faith in them and the cards.

When the set up was complete, the one with tri-color hair went up to notify his friend.

"Yugi, dinner is ready." Yami announced as he walked over towards the door. When he did not receive an answer, he opened the door and called out once more, "Yugi?"

The small boy sat on his carpet with his back turned away from the entrance. Even without the glance of the cherubic face, the spirit knew something was different. He walked in and asked, "Yugi, is everything all right?"

"Oh, um, hi Yami." Yugi greeted timidly. The pharaoh picked up the odd tone he received. Rarely has his light welcomed him in such a manner.

He took a seat and looked at the ground. On the carpet were their cards scattered in no particular order. He glanced over towards his partner. The boy's eyes were fixated on them, his childlike pupils scurried around, as though he was on the look out for a monster to pop out at any second. Perhaps the notion could be true due to a Shadow Game, but no black vortex swirled with purple and red were roaming around. For now, everything remained peaceful.

"Yugi?" Yami asked. The teen became jumpy. Becoming concern, Yami asked, "Yugi, what's wrong? You appear as though you have been anxious lately."

"I… guess I've been… thinking about some things…" the teen admitted.

"About what?" Yami asked, needing more information so he could assist his partner. He remembered how easily he could break into his other's half's emotion through the Puzzle but always kept back. He respected his partner and wanted to be there out of friendship.

"Um…" the boy was unsure of what to say but didn't reply as the two of them were called from downstairs by the shop keeper. The two stood up and Yugi answered, "I'll talk to you… after dinner."

"All right." Yami agreed as he nodded. The two walked down the stairs in silence and sat down at the table. Yugi hardly touched his food; he poked around his meat portion and hardly sipped his drink. The spirit grew concerned. He wanted to help right away but trusted his partner's word about them speaking after dinner. He chewed his food impatiently as he wanted to be done with so their meeting could being.

Even Solomon noted the condition about his grandson. Because the table had been mainly quiet, which was unusual, he decided to speak up first, "Yugi, everything all right with school?"

The teen listed his head when his named had been called. He then quickly answered, "Oh, y-yeah."

"You aren't having any more problems in math, are you?" Yami questioned in a lighthearted tone as he wanted to join in as well. The small adolescent smiled a bit. He then replied calmly, "No."

As he took a few sips from his cup, he started to reflect about another day he had without the spirit around him. He remembered he had to work on another draft for his essay, the one he wished to keep private. He really wanted to improve his grammar and paragraphs for that specific composition. He then brought to the table, "Um… I'm going to be coming home late tomorrow."

"Really?" Yami questioned surprised.

"Where are you going to be?" Solomon asked.

"I'm not going anywhere with friends," Yugi had to assure, "I'm just going to talk with one of my teachers."

"Well ok." Solomon granted his approval, "We'll be sure to keep your dinner in the fridge for you when you get back."

"Grandpa, I'm sure my work doesn't need _that _much help!" Yugi protested, slightly laughing. As he stabbed his vegetable with his dull utensil, he noticed the food appeared easier to chew and swallow, more so than when he did the slicing himself.

"You can thank Yami for preparing the vegetables." Solomon noted to his grandson. Yugi looked over at his other half, who wore an expression of triumph. Yugi stuck out his tongue towards his friend and remarked, "Whatever!"

Once dinner had been eaten, the Mutou residence cleaned up the table so it could be used for homework and other lessons. Yami was quite pleased to know the meal had been over with so he could finally speak with his companion. When he saw the boy heading upstairs, he decided to follow.

Yugi had entered first and he continued to look at his cards. Then again, they were not truly his own. The deck was made with the opinions of his other self. Many of the same monsters, magic, and traps had been used against many opponents, some having impure intentions. He wondered what he could do for himself. He nearly panicked when he foolishly assumed his other half had modified the cards without his approval, or even knowledge.

"Yugi?" Yami called when he finally entered. Yugi was a bit startled when his name was called. He turned and his saw his partner came in. The teen looked at his friend. He still couldn't believe he was able to see a body, and not something transparent. Normally the spirit would speak through the link when he sensed something wrong with his comrade, but now, they both had to use verbal communications as an only option.

"Is there something that has been bothering you?" Yami asked as he took a step closer. Yugi focused his view towards the carpet. He had agreed he would speak with his darker self after dinner. He needed to voice his thoughts about the cards. As he shuffled his feet, he began, "Well… I was thinking… about our deck."

"Is this about what Joey had mentioned earlier?" the pharaoh assumed.

"Well… maybe a little." the adolescent agreed. Yami walked closer, "Is there something specific about the game that is bothering you? Is there a strategy in mind you wish to try?"

"Um… no, not really." the student struggled, "Um… But about our deck…"

"Yes?"

"I guess… I guess we do need to make a few changes."

"I understand. Adjustments would work to our advantage."

"Yeah… and… since… since I'll be at school… I thought…. I thought that maybe…"

"Yes?"

Yugi sighed. He reminded himself as to what he had mentioned earlier to his friends. He knew his other half should be more in charge of the deck than him. The teen lifted his eyes to reach with another pair. Yami was a bit surprised to see a little bit of sadness within his light.

"Yugi?" Yami called.

"Just that… If you want to make any changes, go ahead." Yugi finally allowed.

Yami became speechless.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Yep, in a show about the card game it's important to bring up the actual cards and the actual game.

YChao- Wait, you mean people actually watched the Anime and read the Manga for the card game?

Chao- Strange concept, huh? Although when Chao read the Manga and watched parts of Season 0, Chao liked Kazuki Takahashi's original ideas about playing different games instead of every chapter be filled with the complex rounds of Duel Monsters. Chao feels as though Chao is one of the few since everyone else is talking about the game or pairings. Notice the word "or" in the previous statement.

YChao- Geez, after watching so many episodes around the game, the little "breaks" or "in between" episodes, not filler seasons, were FAR more interesting. At least something happened other than, "I draw! I play the predictable card! I broke the rules that exist in the real world!"

Chao- Longest duel… Yugi/Yami vs. Kaiba at the finals of Battle City… six episodes man… Anyway, please review.


	10. Dividing a Heart Part 2

Chao- Originally this was gonna be just one whole chapter, but the first parts that are now in this chapter would have been a bit too long for the previous and still needed to be developed. Plus, this left the readers to ponder about the deck… or at least try and guess why old fridges had a light bulb but the freezers didn't.

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 10: Dividing a Heart Part 2**

The next day after school, Yugi exited out of his English classroom a bit disappointed. He had hoped to speak with his teacher more about his only paper he had taken pride in, but his instructor was busy and requested for the student searching for help to come by the following morning or during break.

The sadden adolescent sighed as he walked down the empty hallway. Because he had told his friends he would be speaking with his professor, everyone went on with their separate ways. He had promised Joey the two would work more with their cards soon. As he gathered his books at his locker, Yugi thought about returning straight home. At least he would be reunited with his other half faster and the two would be able to talk about adjustments. As he left the building, he looked up to the clear, endless sky.

As a professional duelist, he was required to find more time to practice new moves for Duel Monsters with his companions. The problem, though, still laid with him not having a deck on him. He needed to be prepared not only for his darker half and destiny, but also for himself. He had to prove he could stand on his own two feet. As he began his walk back home, he thought about different ways he could accomplish the feat. He debated if he should do a few extra chores around the house and store so he would be able to buy more cards.

He then stopped in his tracks.

The idea seemed reasonable, but then Yami may be interested in the plan as well. Yugi continued walking. He couldn't condemn the spirit for only thinking about the strategy, but the small teen in the sapphire jacket wanted to reach the goal for himself by himself; he couldn't rely on the spirit forever.

He then paused once more.

He hoped his desire to be with his friend hadn't brought down Yami in anyway. The teen always did his best to not only be by the pharaoh's side, but also his other companions. The petite boy had also greatly assisted his pals when they needed advice, but even he didn't know every single card that laid in their decks. Joey's especially, since the blonde was constantly finding ways to improve himself.

Yugi smiled.

His heart warmed up when he remembered his friend cared about his opinion.

He figured he could build a deck for himself, like he had done for Duelist Kingdom.

Rather than persisting on his usual path, the adolescent decided to stay out alone for awhile. Even though he wanted to see how Yami was doing, he figured he could to use the time he claimed he would be out and fill it up with him buying packets of Duel Monster cards. With the new thought in mind, he passed by several clothing departments and café shops with glee. He felt pride build up as he stood in front of a pair of glass doors. He stepped forward and the entrance opened up for him.

He roamed down the many different aisles to browse. He saw many eye catching magazines, stuffed animals, different containments for candies, strategy guides, and posters. He flipped through several magazines and books. His hand maneuvered over the soft fuzzy material used to make the dolls. He skimmed at all the treats and wondered what flavors laid beyond the colorful wrappers. He was enjoying such a wonderful time with his carefree leisure that he almost forgot the reason why he stopped by in the first place. Nearly out of habit, he tried to call out to his friend who once resided in the Puzzle.

Just then, the world around him turned cold.

He placed one hand on his eye that once held a bruise underneath.

He quickly remembered why he had entered the store. He needed to buy packets of cards so he could construct a fresh deck for himself. Believing to still be part of something big, he was required to carry one with him in case the pharaoh and him were not together, like they were now. Even though he could either borrow Joey's monsters, or even accept the blonde's offer of taking his place in the duel, Yugi would prefer not to. He did not want to cause his friends harm because of him.

As much as he wanted to stay out a bit more, he had to make his purchase quick so he could arrive at home and be with his other self. He hurriedly made his way over to the card racks. His eyes scanned them with great attention. In his Duelist mind, he was planning which to chose from. As he raised his hand and aimed for one, he stopped. He wasn't sure if he could feel the same power from the monsters and magic as skilled as his other half.

"_Do I… do I have what it takes… to be a good duelist without Yami?_" Yugi pondered with fear edging the sides of his heart.

He then recalled the times when he was dueling in both cases with and without his other self. He remembered he had run into a few problems that involved trust. The deck he and his partner had formed was able to sense their doubt.

Yugi inhaled deeply. He knew if he were to construct an original deck for himself that he was to use against opponents and stay by his friend, he would need to have faith in what he picked. He lifted his hand once more.

"_Heart of the cards… guide me_…"

Once the pack was chosen, the duelist made his way over to the cash register and bought the cards he held confidence with. He then left the store and walked home. As he strolled down, he hid the plastic bag in his backpack. He didn't want for anyone to see what he had made.

After calculating the price of the packs, Yugi wouldn't be able to spend money for anything else for a bit. But he was fine with the idea. He now needed to figure out a way to build his deck without anyone seeing what he had.

Xxx

"Hello, Yugi, did you have a nice meeting with your instructor?" Yami asked with a calm smile when his light finally returned home. He was a bit surprised his friend came back earlier than expected; dinner would not be made for awhile. Then again, perhaps the conversation between the old man and his grandson was only a joke.

"Um… Yeah…" Yugi tried to answer quickly as he silently squeezed the straps to his bag. As much as he wanted to speak with his friend, he needed to build his own deck so he could start training and be prepared for his own battles. As he was about to head for his room, Yami called out, "Yugi, where are you heading to?"

"Oh… um…" the teen tried to piece together an excuse. He didn't want to lie to his pal, but he couldn't say exactly what he planned to do. Not wanting to hurt Yami, Yugi answered casually, "I'm going to my room… to work on a project."

"Would you like some assistance?" Yami offered, wanting to spend more time with his light as the boy had been gone for an excess period of time for that particular day. Yugi politely declined, "No, that's ok. I'll be fine."

The boy hiked up the stairs but did not see the lonely expression on the other one's face.

After Yugi entered his room, he sighed. He knew dinner would be coming soon and he wanted to be sure he had the proper deck made by the time his meal arrived. Even though a well organized construction of monsters and magic would take excess amount of time, the teen had hoped he would be able to use the rest of the evening to spend time with his darker self.

He placed down his heavy bag on his cluttered desk. Just before he opened it, he glanced over at his door. He didn't want anyone to enter and interrupt his important path of thinking. He walked over and was about to close it when he stopped. In the past he use to only have to worry about grandpa or parents entering. He wondered if it would be fine to keep out his other self.

Yugi quickly shook his head, "_This isn't locking him out! I'm just using a little privacy to make my new deck!_"

With that, he sealed himself in his own personal space.

He returned to his work station and began his project.

With his heart beating faster, he pulled out his package and carefully opened a packet.

Xxx

Yami sat in front of the TV with his arms crossed. The volume wasn't too loud, but the spirit wasn't truly paying attention to the program. Instead, he had yet to shake himself of what his partner had told him the other day.

"_Just that… If you want to make any changes, go ahead_."

"_What other alterations could I make to our deck?_" Yami pondered, "_The cards are not mine alone. The deck was built with Yugi's heart as well… Just like the Puzzle…"_

He lowered his head and sighed. "_The monsters we have obey both him and me. If I were to move them around, then the monsters may not have such a strong bond with him as they would me_."

He then thought back to the dreadful day Yugi came home with a black eye. The spirit's chest tightened at the horrid memory. He had been ridden with remorse for not being with his partner at the time but there wasn't anything he could do. The deep bruise underneath had healed over time; it was soon hardly noticeable.

Yami leaned forward a bit and sighed. The small affliction under the eye appeared to be one of the few starters for the problems between the two. The spirit had learned from there his light was growing up and he needed to continue trusting his partner. If the two were not on the same level, then problems will arise, and not only in the world of dueling with powerful monsters.

"_Perhaps I should speak with Yugi about our deck_." Yami debated, "_The discussion will give us time together and we'll be able to establish rules about the deck_."

The former pharaoh stood up and nodded. But before he had the opportunity to speak with his other half, the store owner of the Turtle Game Shop called over and requested assistance for dinner once more. Yami figured it would be best to have the talk after their meal so Yugi could finish his project he mentioned he was working on. As Yami was preparing the vegetables, he believed his light was only working once more on his essay, the same one Joey had mentioned earlier.

When the preparations were done, Yami walked over to Yugi's room. He was about to knock on the door when he heard his other self mumbling. The spirit couldn't help but chuckle. He called from where he stood, "Yugi, is everything all right?"

"Um, yeah!" the teen answered.

"Well, dinner is ready." Yami added, "And surprisingly enough after you came back from talking with your instructor."

"Clam it, Yami!" the adolescent yelled from his room, "Don't follow Grandpa's example!"

Yami only laughed once more. He felt better he was able to have a quick moment of humor with his other half, even though a door was set between them.

"Well, are you ready?" Yami asked. After hearing several crunching and small mumbles, the door at last opened. The spirit was very relived to see a young adult with a genuine smile across his happy features.

The two walked down the hallway and descended the steps. As the men ate their dinner, keeping up a conversation was easier than the other day. The spirit was pleased to know his friend appeared more alive. He paused for a moment when he noticed once again the faded mark of the healing bruise. He then shook his head. His heart had reminded him what he had promised to always be there his light on the first day they had been separated. He would now need more trust between them both.

"Well, at least with Yami out he can at least make something edible." Yugi remarked as he took another bit off of his plate.

"Is that an insult or compliment?" the spirit questioned. Yugi stuck out his tongue and answered, "What do you think!"

Xxx

"So Yug, looks like you do have your deck with you today!" Joey grinned mischievously during their break at school.

"Yup!" the small teen nodded proudly, "And I think you'll be in for a surprise!"

"Bring it on!" the blonde accepted.

The game started out as normal. The two rivals stared at each other before making any move. Yugi wondered if Joey had prepared any new combos since the last time they practiced. He knew the tall student was aware of his need in change of cards, but what Joey didn't know was that the small teen was playing with a fresh deck all together. When Joey first took a look at some of the recently added monsters, he was quite surprised. Rather than the ferocious mythical creatures, the cards that were granted attack points appeared too cute to do any real damage.

"Wow, Yug, those cards sure do pack a punch!" Joey praised when the match ended.

"Thanks!" Yugi smiled.

"These sure are different than from what I usually see." Tristan remarked.

"Yeah, me too." Tea nodded.

"I know these guys will help me if I ever face a new opponent." the young adult with puppy eyes grinned.

"Yeah, no kidding." Joey agreed, "How did you and Yami think of something so cool?"

The pride Yugi had soon fell. He asked softly, "Wha?"

"Did you and Yami go out and buy some cards after you spoke with your teacher?" the blonde further questioned. Yugi lowered his cards and eyes towards the desk and answered quietly, "Well… no…"

"Then did you both have a talk to discover these new combos?" Tristan joined in.

"Um…" Yugi found himself unable to speak. Before anything else could be brought up, the bell had rang. Joey stood up and stretched, "Wow! That sure was fun! Let's see if we can play again after school."

"Yeah… sure…" the smallest teen replied quietly. As he gathered his new deck, a deck he constructed by his own heart, he pondered about all what had just been stated.

"_Am I really not a duelist without Yami around?_"

He took his bag and placed it on his back. He held so much pride after the deck's completion, he was in a very good mood for the rest of the evening and night. He had hoped he allowed himself to change without harming any of his friends, especially his other half.

As the group walked towards their next class, Tea couldn't help but notice the sudden change in her childhood companion. She observed his sadden features appeared similar to when Yami had been requested to not go anywhere the sick Yugi. She wondered what was happening between the two.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Thanks a lot Yami. Your parts take SO long to write it's the reason why readers have to wait a long time for another chapter!

Yami- Hey! Don't blame me you prefer to torture Yugi over me!

Chao- Yes, but this story is focusing more on you! So there!

Yami- "So there"? You still need to write me and Yugi getting back together, so that means…

Yugi- Chao will write more torture scenes of us.

YChao- Yep! And because Yugi is the secondary, he'll have his own parts as well.

Chao- Yayness! Oh wait… Yami torture… Hmm


	11. Same but Different

Chao- Hmm… There sure have been plenty of Anzu bashing in other fics.

YChao- Of course. Who wants to hear all those friendship speeches in the dub?

Chao- True, but that's more in the Tea bashing category, which were actually once fun to read.

YChao- That, and some authors prefer to bash her for… OTHER reasons.

Chao- But, Chao thinks Anzu was a good character, especially in Season 0 and the manga. Then again, every book turned into a movie/TV show will have everyone magically transform into a one dimensional character…. Very flat… Le sigh.

"Talking."

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 11: Same but Different **

Together in silence, Tea and Yugi walked towards their next classroom. The girl continued to notice how distant the small teen appeared. He seemed so ecstatic before, but now he was absolutely silent. She grew concerned.

They both sat at a lab table with a black top and wooden bottom as they waited for their science teacher to show up. But because the instructor was often late, many students chatted among each other. Out of the corner of her eye, Tea could see Yugi staring down. She strongly believed the adolescent was thinking about his deck. She wondered if his behavior had to do with some of the remarks everyone made earlier.

"So, um, Yugi." the girl began a bit nervous, knowing they still had some time. The petite boy glanced over towards his companion.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Well, I was thinking about the match between you and Joey earlier." she stated her thoughts with Yugi nodding. She sighed as she understood she needed to arrive at her point.

"Yugi… about your cards." she brought up with her eyes looking down, "They are completely different from when you and Yami duel together. You were able to kick Joey's butt again, but what you used was different."

"Yeah, you're right." Yugi agreed with Tea being a bit surprised. The teen pulled out his sacred cards and looked through them. Rather than seeing ferocious monsters, in place were all these cutesy creatures with hidden special features. He then added, "I… I made this deck by myself the other day… I just wanted to be prepared… in case something happened."

After the last statement, the small teen pondered, "_Did I really just make a deck only for that purpose?_"

"Oh, no, there wasn't anything wrong with that!" the girl quickly corrected herself in an embarrassed manner, "It was just something I noticed. Maybe it was a good thing for you to have something of your own."

"Of… my own?" the male student questioned.

"Um… Yeah." the female nodded, "You and Yami had always been together, but I'm sure you both have had your off time where you needed a little privacy, even from each other."

"Yeah…"

"But, have you mentioned this to Yami? About you two having two different decks?"

"Well… Not really."

Yugi turned his gaze back to the ground, "_Why haven't I told him? He's still my friend and we still need a way for us to get back together… Would it even be right for two souls in one body to have two decks? Is that why Yami had been brought out?_"

The girl thought about the answers she received. She recalled how Yami acted when he was within the Puzzle and the times he had been out. Tea smiled, "Yugi, even though you and Yami were once connected, you're both still two different people."

"What do you mean?" Yugi questioned, interested in the topic.

"Well… you're two souls in one body." she jumbled her words as she tried to explain, "Um… I guess maybe you should spend some time together… Even though you both have always been when you two were connected, but now that you two are apart, you should spend some time with each other… Um, does that make any sense?"

The girl had given her best shot at wording her view point. Even she had trouble knowing the difference between who had been in control when Yugi had first solved the Puzzle. She hoped she would have been some help to her childhood friend, since she had been there for Yami from time to time as well.

Yugi pondered about what he had been told. Truly he had wanted to be with his other half, but he hadn't been able to with so much of his own life having events pop up sporadically. The weekend was coming soon and Yugi also knew because of his new bought deck he would still not have any money for awhile. Perhaps he could speak with his other self about their cards before school starts up once more.

He couldn't help but smile.

He nodded his head.

Tea was relieved to see her friend was all right.

"Sorry I'm late, class!" the teacher apologized as she stumbled in with one arm filled with tan folders with paper spilling out while the other held a mug coffee with a few droplets from her tea splashing out. The class only laughed in response.

Xxx

Yami lied on the couch while watching a boring car chase TV drama movie. The weather out had been scorching. He had been sweeping the front of the shop when the store owner told him to stay inside. The former pharaoh may have grown to liking his own body, but his form was not use to such heat.

"Hopefully we'll get some more rain soon to cool off the city." Solomon remarked as he allowed the spirit to relax a bit.

As Yami mindlessly watched the idiot box in the den, he hoped his other self was fine. The only time the spirit recalled the adolescent was out in the heat was during his physical education class. Other than that, the teen should be all right inside a school with air condition.

As the spirit cooled off, he really enjoyed the synthetic air brushing his form after first experiencing sticky sweat dripping down his balmy flesh. He soon thought about the temporary plan Yugi placed together. Concentrating on his magic, Yami did his best to scan for any dark magic. To his relief, nothing was found.

He then returned back to his relaxation. He soon reflected about his body feeling different sensations. He had been able to experience heat, rain, and adrenaline when pumped into his bloodstream. He was quite glad he did not need to endure a Shadow Game on his own. Although his mind had been accustomed to such stressful events, he wondered if his new form would be able to survive such evil force.

Yami couldn't help but sigh as worry made its way back to him. He remembered all the changes he had been through in roughly two weeks. An extra stress had been placed on everyone's life. Even with a spirit residing in the body of an adolescent, now that the two were separated, there appeared to be extra pressure caused by the unknown.

The former pharaoh moved his position from lying down to sitting up. He hoped he wasn't too selfish in wanting to be with his light. Even though he had promised to hold more faith, he still missed being with his partner. He understood his friend had school and homework, but Yami could have always been with his other self, even if the two were only connected by the gold pendent. As the spirit thought about the upside down pyramid, he wondered if his partner still felt empty without it.

He decided to stand and reach for something cool to place in his dry mouth. As he walked into the kitchen and searched through the fridge, he enjoyed the cool air sweeping past his face. He then pulled out a small, white cylinder containing yogurt. He took off the lid and observed the numbers.

"_Looks as though this is to expire soon._" he noted as he reached for a metal spoon and tossed away the top in a trashcan. His tongue leaped for joy when the sugary flavor and solid fruit danced on his buds, "_Yum, strawberry_."

As Yami continued to eat and enjoy so many new experiences, he soon started to think about the wish he had requested. He recalled he told Ishizu he may have been brought out not only to savor new experiences with his partner, but this whole event has had the two find new ways to be with each other. The spirit was pleased he had been able to live with people who care not only about Yugi, but also himself as well.

His mind then wandered to where he and Yugi had been considered to be the same. Not even Yugi understood what was happening around him. The spirit and the boy appeared similar, but they were still quite different in what laid in their hearts.

Just then, the phone rang. Solomon went to go answer it while Yami continued to eat his cool snack. The former pharaoh persisted with his thoughts and new memories as the old man spoke.

"Well, this should be interesting." the elderly store owner said to himself out loud.

"Why is that?" Yami questioned, interested in the remark.

"That was Yugi's mother." Solomon explained, "She had said she had been over with Yugi's father north of Domino and they're waiting to see where Yugi's father next business trip will be."

"So, does this mean Yugi's parents will be returning here?" the spirit questioned, a bit ecstatic he may actually have a chance to physically meet with the creators of his light.

"Perhaps." Solomon guessed, feeling the same way, "But we'll have to wait and see. Yugi's father's job has been known to need him and have him travel as soon as possible."

Yami thought about what had been said. He wondered what Yugi's parents would say to him if they ever crossed paths. He couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of them mistaking Yami for Yugi, or believing their own child had a long lost twin. Vaguely, he recalled any incidents where he had been able to catch a glimpse of Yugi's father; he had often seen the boy's mother and their relationship together. The spirit hoped he would be able to make a good impression on them.

Just then, the two heard Yugi enter. The young adult walked in and announced, "I'm home!"

"Welcome back." Solomon greeted before he left the room.

"How was school?" Yami asked, "Anything interesting take place?"

"No, not really." Yugi laughed as he walked and sat at the table. He then took his bag and began to place a few large textbooks out. The spirit observed his partner appeared more chipper than what he had been displaying yesterday. Yami leaned against a chair and asked, "Do you have plenty of homework today?"

"Nope!" Yugi grinned, "I just need to finish this worksheet for science."

"That's good to hear."

"What, that I have homework for science or that there isn't that much?"

"I don't know… Maybe both."

"Right, because doing homework for a boring class is always good."

"It can be if you have a trustworthy lab partner."

"What do you mean by that!" Yugi nearly shouted as his face turned a bit pink. Yami only smirked as he replied, "Even if we don't have a working connection between us, you should know."

"Whatever!" the teen yelled as he stood up and stomped towards the fridge. In the beginning of the semester for the school year, the pharaoh would often give his partner a hard time in science, namely because Yugi was paired up with Tea for the experiments. As the adolescent scanned the shelves of the fridge, he asked, "Where did my strawberry yogurt go?"

"Oh, sorry Yugi," the spirit answered with guilt in his tone, "I ate that as my snack since it was quite hot outside."

"That's ok." the teen replied, "I'll just have an orange."

The student removed the fruity sphere from the fridge then took his seat once more. As he continued on with his work, Yami sat down as well. His mind wandered a bit. He was curious to think if anyone had walked into the room right now then the two boys could be mistaken as brothers. He chuckled a bit when he thought about the difference between the two and how one could be a good twin while the other was the evil one, as commonly seen in daytime TV soap operas.

"What's so funny?" Yugi asked when the laugh interrupted his concentration. He then accused towards his other self, "Are you thinking about how you could have distracted me in science again!"

"No need to be conceded." Yami teased.

"Just go to one of your lessons while I finish this." Yugi pouted.

"Fine." the spirit reluctantly agreed.

He stood up and walked into the den. After reaching for a small, red box, he returned to the kitchen. He took out the cards and began to play with them once again. The game he played with was a simple matching game where he needed to figure out which picture could match with what idea. Even though the game was a bit childish, the spirit enjoyed it. Then again, maybe he was able to gain more pleasure since he was with his light.

Just then, the teen reached for the phone and began to call his friend. Having a brief conversation with his childhood companion about his homework sheet, Yugi was very content he had Tea for a partner. Not only was Tea a friend, but the girl was also smart and knew what she was talking about.

"Ok, cool, we did get the same answers," Yugi sighed with relief for the math portion of their sheet, "See you at school tomorrow."

As the student clamped down the phone, he noticed his darker self was grinning mischievously once more. Yugi grew quite suspicious, "What are you smirking about now?"

"Wouldn't it be funny if Tea tried to kiss you after we've been reunited only for her to mistake you for me?" Yami replied in his evil, playful mode once more.

"No! It wouldn't!" Yugi shouted then stormed out of the room. Leaving his game behind, Yami stood up from his chair and assured, "Yugi, I was only joking!"

He followed his partner and saw Yugi sitting on the couch with the TV turned on. Even if the spirit had gone a bit far in playing with his partner's feelings, he had been thinking about both the physical and emotional similarities between himself and his other self.

"Yugi, I was only joking." Yami repeated as he went ahead an apologized for what he had commented. Yugi only replied with him sticking his tongue out once more. The spirit couldn't help but laugh. Earlier in the day, he was quite lonely and wanted to be around his friend. He was content the boy was done with his work.

"So, how about a new lesson then?" Yami insisted, a bit bored with the ones he had completed.

"Like what?" Yugi asked, interested in continuing to help his darker half.

"How about you teach me to drive?" Yami laughed, "That way if I get pulled over by the cops, I can always blame it on you, like in the movies."

"Yami!" Yugi yelled annoyed, "Even I don't know how to drive!"

"Then if I do, then I'll be one step ahead of you." Yami laughed as he moved a pillow on the couch to make room for him to sit. The fluffy comfort abruptly landed on Yugi.

"Hey!" the small teen protested. He then took the same pillow and lightly hit his other self with it. Yami smirked as he reached for a weapon of his own.

The two boys found delight hitting each other with their soft pillows. Yugi soon jumped from his spot to another couch. Carefully, Yami watched him; he needed to be sure he would not fall victim to an attack. The adolescent quickly hopped and tried to pounce on his other self. The spirit had managed to block the affliction with his own shield.

After an intense battle, they soon stopped and rested on the couches. Yami sat up on his side while Yugi was upside down on a velvet green recliner.

"I see you boys are having fun," remarked an elderly man with a genuine grin on his face.

"Yup." Yugi answered as he tried to catch his breath while Yami remained quiet. The older boy smiled as he continued to enjoy his time with his partner.

"Well, I'll be going to the bank and then to the grocery store." Solomon informed, "Do you need me to pick you up anything?"

"Hmmm…" Yugi pondered. He then smiled as he answered, "I'm gonna need more strawberry yogurt since _someone _took mine!"

"Hey! That one was free game!" Yami defended himself.

"Was not! I needed that for a snack!"

"Was too! It was to expire soon!"

"All right, calm down," the old man tried to settle the brotherly argument, "I'll just go and pick up a case."

"Ok," the two boys agreed. Solomon then left Yugi and Yami alone. There was silence between the two. They were both still trying to reenergize.

"So what do you want to do now?" Yami finally asked, not wanting to leave the house or do another boring lesson.

"How about we watch a video?" Yugi suggested, feeling the same way.

"That's fine." the other one agreed.

The two of them walked towards the TV. Below it was a mini cabinet that held DVDs and VHSs. Yugi opened the door and the two examined the titles to see what appeared interesting. While deciding which one to pick, the phone rang. The petite teen stood up and went to go answer the device.

"Hello?" Yugi answered. His eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "Dad? How's everything been!"

Yami stood up. He smiled when he saw how excited his partner was for speaking with a person he cared for. He wondered if Yugi's father called to inform if he would be coming home.

"Wait, you are going to be away for awhile longer and Mom is going with you?" Yugi repeated as his grin faded, "Oh… uh huh…. Uh huh… Yeah… Yeah, I understand… Yeah, I'll be sure to tell Grandpa… Ok… I hope you'll call again soon… K… Bye Dad."

The teen stared at the white communication device for a bit. Quickly, his round eyes filled with disappointment. Yami was quiet. He wasn't sure what took place, but he knew how upset his friend had become. As he was about to walk towards his light and extend condolences, the boy started to head for the stairs.

"Yugi?" Yami asked. The adolescent turned around and informed sadly, "I'm gonna go to my room for a bit."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Yami offered. Yugi turned back around. He wanted to think things through without anyone watching. Remembering what Tea had told him, he replied boldly, "No… I… I need some time alone."

The spirit could only watch as his partner left once more. Yami went over and sat on a couch. He was really excited he and Yugi were happily being with each other once more. He truly was enjoying his great time with his light. But now, something had upset the boy. Yami hoped he would be able to assist soon. He couldn't stand to see his light sad but was unsure of what he could do.

Right now, though, he assumed it would be best to leave the boy with his private thoughts in solitude.

Xxx

Yugi entered his room and took a seat on his bed with his back against his wall. He grabbed his pillow and hugged it tightly, feeling a tad strange since it was only moments ago he had been having fun with his partner in a battle of cushions. He hoped he didn't sound too rude to his darker half. He had been looking forward to the weekend with his friend. He knew with school and homework, finding time to be together became harder and harder.

But for some reason, to him, it was becoming increasingly difficult wanting to be isolated. Even though the spirit was currently free from the Puzzle, Yugi felt obliged to try and spend as much time with the former pharaoh. Yugi then shook his head.

"_Yami would have returned to the Puzzle if I had asked for some time alone_." the teen tried to convince himself.

But now, he was upset. A part of him longed for his parents to return. He wanted them to meet Yami, the friend who had helped him in so many ways. The boy then buried his face into the comfort of his soft pillow.

"_I know Dad likes to travel and I know Mom likes to go with him to give him company on his long trips… but, is it wrong for me to want them to just stay here?_"

Xxx

The house was quiet. The old man had yet to return from his errands while Yugi remained in his room. Yami wanted to take part in something, but he wanted to do the act in a kind gesture for his partner. He only hoped his companion was all right. He also wished the boy would talk with him when he felt better. Closing his eyes, Yami sighed.

Outside, dark clouds rolled in. The sun was blocked as water gently fell down onto the city once again. The spirit listened to the sound of the drops hitting the roof. Like before, a peaceful sensation fell over him. He wished he could enjoy the pleasure with his light.

"So, you still want to watch a movie?" a cheerful voice questioned. Yami looked up and saw Yugi walking down the steps with a smile on his face.

"What?" Yami asked as he sat up.

"Let's watch a video like we originally planned." Yugi replied, still grinning.

The boy walked back to the cabinet and looked once more at what was available. Yami went to join him. He observed his other half carefully. Even without the link, the small teen appeared fine. His eyes were back to their playful tune and he had a full, real smile on his face.

"_Perhaps all he needed was some time to himself_." Yami figured. He believed his light would have requested to be disconnected while he would obey and just be in the Puzzle. He wouldn't have mind since Yugi did needed some private time, as did he.

Once a choice was made, Yugi placed in the film and thought, "_Well, I'll just wait for them to return and tell them about everything… Until then, I want to enjoy as much time with Yami_."

The two sat on a couch with the lights off and even though it was lightly raining out, they both enjoyed the film together.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Darn you, writer's block.

YChao- Writer's block or are you just being lazy?

Chao- Look at all the space that was once blank between paragraphs of different settings before anything could be written in between transitions… And that stupid curser that blinks when letters are not being typed… It mocks Chao


	12. Prank Wars and Sleepovers Part 1

Chao- Wait! That's it!

YChao- What? Have you finally concluded that your stories suck?

Chao- Shut up! No, Chao has figured out that along with this story being in the Friendship genre, this story could also be seen as a little Slice of Life genre.

YChao- So you admit this story is pointless.

Chao- Hey! Slice of Life is a fun genre to read!

"Talking"

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 12: Prank Wars and Sleepovers Part 1**

Over time while the movie played and ended, the clouds became a bit heavier but no rain followed. A small roar of thunder disturbed the young teen a bit; he never liked too loud of noises. After Solomon had returned while running his errands, along with a case of the much needed strawberry yogurt, Yugi had informed his grandpa about the whereabouts of his parents. Both appeared to be a bit disappointed in the news. Yami had wanted to comfort them both but was unsure how.

When preparing dinner, Yami learned the art of making spaghetti. He was surprised when Yugi took a helping hand in the making as well. Then again, the student was often busy with homework and normally used his time to complete his dreaded assignments. Lucky for the current meal, all that needed to be done was just boil water. While Yami watched the pot, the teen had placed a bag of salad into a large bowl but did so with a distance look sketched on his childish face.

The spirit wondered just how well his friend actually was. Because there was still no link between them, he could not simply scan his partner's mind. He now needed to use his own detective skills, such as observing facial expressions, to see how his companion was. Though Yugi had claimed to be fine, he did not appear to be so.

When the noodles came to a boil, Solomon placed the hot pasta into another large bowl. The spirit took a jar of tomato sauce and managed to open it. Yugi went over to watch over his friend to be sure the sauce did not spill on to the counter. Yami poured the red paste but took his eyes off the jar for a moment and towards his partner when he heard a sigh. Since he was not careful, the sauce dumped in at a fast rate and splashed onto the boys' faces.

"Ah! Yami!" Yugi yelled.

"Sorry, Yugi!" Yami smiled sheepishly.

The teen attempted to rid himself of what had landed on his cheeks with the back of his hands. The spirit reached for a wet paper towel on the counter and tried to assist only to accidentally push some into the adolescent's orbs.

"Ouch! My eyes!" Yugi cried as his puppy pupils stung.

"I'm sorry!" Yami cried once more.

"Take him to the sink and splash some water!" Solomon instructed while trying to mask his laughter.

Following what he was told, Yami guided Yugi to the sink. Turning on the faucet, he allowed some cold water run into his hand, which he had cupped. He then carefully moved the water onto his partner's face with some spilling on both of their clothing. After repeating the same steps a few time, the sauce had finally left Yugi's eyes.

"That's better." he sighed with relief.

"Sorry, I did not mean for that to happen." Yami sighed as well, truly meaning his words.

Rather then his light accepting the apology, the former pharaoh received a harsh glance. But instead of feeling any rage from Yugi, Yami could see a different sentiment laid within the pair of puppy dog eyes. The emotion was quite similar to a person being amused, like how Yugi is whenever he is prank by Joey or Tristan.

Yugi understood his friend with the tri-color hair though; the splashing of the tomatoes was an accident. But because he was not so great a pranks, he was unable to anything to his friends with gold and brown hair. However, since the spirit of the Puzzle was now out and was unaware of new aspects created by man, Yugi figured he would give something he had always wanted to do a shot.

"No, it's ok." he insisted. He then added with a bit of a mischievous grin, "But I think you got some on your shirt."

The spirit was glad his friend was all right. He then recalled he, too, had some of smashed tomatoes on him. Looking down at his shirt to where Yugi was pointing, he then quickly saw his partner lifting up his hand and flicking him on his nose.

Covering the area that had been touched, Yami turned to see both Yugi and Solomon laughing. Confused by the amusement, he asked, "What's so funny?"

"I got you!" Yugi declared with joy, happy to finally have one of his ideas work.

"Got me?" Yami repeated, still a bit baffled.

He then took a moment to think as he remembered some of the odd activities the three boys in the sapphire uniform participated in. Though his light was good a games, whenever he had tried to pull off jokes, Joey and Tristan were always ahead of him.

He then laughed as well.

The three males took their seats to enjoy their meal as the rain finally sprinkled down once more. Yami had thought about trying to get back at his partner, but he figured it would be best to allow his light to smile after being down for some time. Instead, both boys tried to simply out due each other by seeing who could slurp the longest noodle string.

"Don't forget to eat the salad!" Solomon pestered in a light manner. When dinner had been eaten and the dishes had been clean, Yugi went to go use the computer while Yami began another chapter of an easy to read book he had been given.

Reading became a new, fun leisure for the former pharaoh. Like his light, he enjoyed fantasy best. His heart always raced whenever the main character faced his enemy but used his magic to protect his friends. Yami couldn't help but sometimes see himself as the protagonist, and he wondered if his partner felt the same. But to make matters even more interesting, the two themselves had participated in events neither had ever thought they would be apart of. And though those paths had lead them to metaphorical dark caves, the two friends brought together by destiny managed to find a light for an exit.

"I hope he's feeling better." the spirit mumbled to himself. Placing his bookmark into the pages after he finished another chapter, he went to check in on his other self. Treading into the same room with the computer, Yami found his partner starring into a screen with plenty of words and photos.

"Yugi?" Yami called out gently. Turning around, the boy smiled, "Hey, Yami."

"What are you doing?"

"Looking at my dad's travel blog."

"Travel blog?"

"Yeah, remember? I told you my dad writes for a traveling company. These are from his last trip."

"Oh, I see."

Yami took a seat next to his partner and the two viewed shots of beautiful green palm trees and white, sandy beaches. Throughout past entries laid many photos of deep purple mountains, green forests, wide valleys, gold fields, and fabulous places to eat, sleep, and drink.

"No wonder your father enjoys traveling." Yami commented after seeing so many exciting spots.

"Yup, it sure is a wide world." Yugi nodded.

"Have you ever had the opportunity to travel with him?"

"Only when I wasn't in school or if it was close by. I was able to see a lot of fun places."

"Maybe one day you'll be able to go with them again."

"Yeah, but it's ok if I don't."

"Why do you say that?"

"Cuz I also enjoy spending my summer with my friends, and you."

The spirit smiled a bit. Just then, a small box popped up and announced the young adult had been sent a new e-mail. The boy smiled with delight when he read the address. At once, he scrolled the mouse over and clicked on his new message. On screen came a photo of Yugi's parents on the beach, both in adult swim suits and each holding their own drink with miniature, colorful umbrellas.

"Looks as though they are having fun." Yami remarked.

"Yeah," Yugi quietly agreed. He then went and read what his folks had wrote to him. Smiling, he typed and read out loud, "Yes, I have been doing my homework. Grandpa is fine and so am I. I've been spending some time with my friends and having fun here. Have a safe trip."

Before having the chance to hit send, another roar of thunder came, causing the teen to be a bit surprised. Yami chuckled in response to his partner's reaction. He then suggested in a light tone, "Perhaps you can stroll around outside and have your shower there."

"No way!" Yugi protested, "I'm gonna go to the bathroom where it's safe!"

Yami observed his partner once more when the boy hit send. He noticed the teen was both content about the jokes and still sadden by the absence of his folks. As Yugi was preparing to shut everything off for the night, Yami became lost in thought.

He recalled back to when he was a mere spirit; the only comfort he could offer were kind, encouraging words or just sitting and listening while his other self talked. Though those acts had helped his friend, he couldn't help but hold a deeper desire to do more. Through his eyes in his transparent state, he sometimes felt Yugi's other friends were somehow helping him more than the former pharaoh could, though he did not understand how or what it was. Perhaps it was because he was trapped within a gold relic than being at his companion's side like all the others, who were able to stand by him at school, the arcade, home, and countless, deadly Shadow Games.

They could all toss in a friendly punch, a physical high five, a caring hand on the shoulder, and even a hug.

Yami glanced down at himself and saw he now had skin of his own. He remembered how enlighten he felt whenever he and his light sat next to each other, like they had after reuniting with each other after separating at the movies. Each one gave off his own heat towards the other, allowing the other to actually feel the presence of a friend, which was far different than a mental sense they shared through their link. As the adolescent was prepared to leave, the spirit developed an idea.

"Yugi, wait." Yami called out with care.

"Yeah?" Yugi questioned as he turned back around, interested in seeing what his darker self wanted.

Yami reached for his friend by his wrist and pulled him closer for an embrace. The small teen quickly saw what his other half wanted to do. Filled with gratitude, the adolescent returned the kind gesture; he was quite glad his companion was there to give him condolences in another fashion.

When he believed his friend was better, Yami pulled them apart and asked in a gentle tone, "Will you be all right?"

"Yeah." the young adult nodded as he looked at the ground, "I mean, I'm really sad that they're not going to be here and I really wanted them to met you, but my dad travels a lot and he sometimes feels lonely. Since he can't pull me out of school to go with him, Mom usually goes. But even though I do want them to stay here, I'll be fine."

Yami pulled his lighter half closer to him once more. He had wanted to meet in person with Yugi's parents, but that was not available at the moment. And though Yugi did often miss his parents, he was glad to still has his grandpa, his friends, and the spirit of the Puzzle.

Xxx

"Yugi, you seem upset about something." Tea observed as she and Yugi walked down their school hallway, "Everything ok?"

"Yeah, for the most part." Yugi sighed unhappily.

"Did you get a chance to talk about your deck with Yami?"

"No, I got caught up a bit with something else after I got a call from my dad."

"Really? What did he say?"

"He and my mom will be gone for a few weeks."

"Oh…"

"I wish they could have at least stayed home for a bit to meet Yami, but it's ok."

"What would you have told your parents? The Puzzle you placed together suddenly brought out one of your best friends and now he's going to be living with you?"

"I just _may_ leave that part out."

"On the bright side, the weekend is coming up. Maybe you can try talking with Yami about your deck then."

"I guess. Will you be coming over?"

"No, sorry, I have to help my neighbor take care of her cat."

"Is the cat ok?"

"Yeah, she's just recovering from surgery."

"That's good to hear."

The two friends went on their separate ways. Yugi entered his classroom and saw Joey attempting to finish up his last few questions from his late assignment before the start of class. The small teen only greeted his buddy and allowed the boy with gold hair to hurriedly finish. Lucky for him, Joey made it in time. But as class trudged on, he noticed how unhappy his companion was, much like how he had been for the past few days.

"_Man, having to deal with all this dark magic and Puzzle stuff must really be hard on him_." Joey assumed, wishing he could do something to help out.

When their lesson concluded, Joey casually asked, "So, Yug, any plans with you and Yami for this weekend?"

"Um… I don't know." the adolescent replied honestly, "Did you and Tristan want to go to the arcade? Tea said she would be busy this weekend with her neighbor, though."

"She did?" Joey questioned.

Hanging out with a girl did not really bother the blonde, especially after all the adventures the group of friends endured together. Even though the males did have their guy times between classes and after school on weekdays, it was odd to have time spent without their female companion. Joey knew he wanted to at least play a few rounds of Duel Monsters. He was also aware the spirit of the Puzzle may want to be around friends other than the game store owner. He then had an idea.

Quickly, he tried to make his exit, "I'll talk to you later, Yug!"

"Um, ok." the teen nodded.

Joey hurriedly went to locate Tristan. Once his friend was found exiting from the restroom, he immediately tried to implement his new plan. The teen with brown hair drew up an eyebrow, "You sure about this?"

"Come on," Joey tried to persuade, "This is for Yug!"

"Well, it may sound more like elementary school, but this might by a good idea."

"Great! Let's go talk to him about it."

"With the way you're putting it, it sounds more like an enforcement."

"Ah! There he is!"

At once, the two mischievous males raced towards their little buddy, who was talking with Tea in the same hallway. Joey and Tristan each grabbed Yugi by his arms and lifted him off of the ground with his feet dangling down. Because of his small height, the act was easy.

"Hey! What are you guys doing!" Yugi asked confused.

"Guy meeting, right now!" Joey answered quickly.

With that, they left their female companion in the dust. Tea then reminded herself her close group of friends were males, who needed to discuss some male things in private. As she walked off, she mumbled to herself she would at least be able to spend some time with her kindhearted neighbors.

Joey and Tristan continued to run with their pal until they were all outside near the chin-up polls. They then carefully set down Yugi, who was quite baffled about the events that had happened around him.

"Ya know what we need more than anything?" Joey began with a big grin.

"You being less stupid?" Tristan replied sarcastically, though he already knew the answer.

"Um… Burgers and fries?" Yugi guessed, trying to figure out what was on his friend's mind, which was usually food.

"No!" Joey answered, "Well, maybe. Anyways, we need some guy time!"

"We do?" Yugi questioned.

"Why not?" Joey playfully countered, "You said Tea was busy this weekend, and it ain't bad having one of our closes friends being a girl, but we, as guys, need some guy time together. Ya know, to talk about guy things."

Yugi blinked confused. Joey went on, "You and Yami just seem to be under a lot of stress, guess it's cuz with you all being separated and having to be on the lookout for evil, but can you really do your best if your under stress?"

Glancing down towards the dirt, Yugi thought about the prose. Fortunately for the group, there had been no signs of any evil arising. The teen figured if Yami was to go out on an extremely tough journey, it should be fair he get in as much playtime as possible.

"_Yami and I are friends; just because he needs to save the world from dark magic and I'm trying my hardest to stay by his side doesn't mean we can't have small breaks with our other friends who also stay by our sides_…" Yugi began to speculate his options. Despite the said stress and his parents being gone for a bit longer, the adolescent wanted to still be with the spirit who once resided in the Puzzle.

"What do you say, Yug?" Joey asked as he broke into his friend's thoughts, "This Friday starting after school?"

Looking up towards his two loyal buddies, Yugi replied, "I'll ask Grandpa, but I'm sure he'll say yes."

"Yeah!" the two tall teens exclaimed with joy.

The small adolescent smiled.

Xxx

"I'm home!" Yugi called out as he entered.

"Welcome back." Solomon greeted, "How was school."

"Ok." Yugi replied as he set down his heavy bag from his back. He then went and asked, "Um, Grandpa, Joey and Tristan were wondering if they could spend the night tomorrow."

"Yes, of course." the elderly man smiled, "What do you boys plan to do?"

"Um, I'm not sure yet." the boy answered, "I think they did it out of being a spur of the moment since Tea is going to be busy this weekend. But I guess we'll talk about it tomorrow. Where's Yami?"

"He's taking some clean towels to the bathroom." the old man answered.

The teen took his heavy brown bag off the kitchen table and began to hike up the stairs. On his way to his room, he saw his other half bringing towards his room a hamper with clean clothes.

"Hi, Yami!" Yugi smiled.

"Welcome back, Yugi." the spirit smiled back, "Have a fun day at school?"

"Yeah. Did you have fun with your lessons and helping out here?"

"Always."

The small teen giggled as he opened his door and the two walked in. As the former pharaoh placed down the basket, he asked, "Anything interesting happening between anyone?"

"Well, this weekend-" Yugi cut himself off. "_Wait, I'm sure Yami has been underneath a lot of stress just like me. Maybe I can surprise him with the sleepover!_"

"What were you saying?" Yami questioned as he noticed his light had trailed off.

"Um… Just that Tea had said she was going to help her neighbors with watching over their cat." Yugi laughed a little nervously.

"Oh, all right." the spirit nodded. He then saw his partner looking down at the carpet, lost in thought. Curious about his partner's wellbeing, Yami asked, "Everything ok?"

"Um, yeah." Yugi replied, still smiling. Looking over at his bag, he remembered he had plenty of assignments. Wanting to be sure he would be free throughout the weekend, he stated, "Um, I got a lot of homework tonight so I think I should get started on it."

"All right." Yami nodded a bit sadly. He was almost done with his book and wanted to talk about it with his partner. Even though he had recalled some of the material from when they were connected and his light had already read the book, the ending was a tad fuzzy.

Exiting the room and taking the basket with him, Yami said, "I'll let you work on your assignments."

Once alone, Yugi walked over to his bag. Taking out his books, he sighed heavily. There just seemed to be an extra plate in front of him ever since he had solved the Puzzle, but there appeared to be more piled on that single platter ever since the two souls came apart.

As he began to sit down, Yugi pondered about what Joey had mentioned earlier and remembered how much fun his parents had whenever they were out on his trips.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Yugi thought, "_I hope this little vacation goes well_."

**To be continued…**

Chao- Ya know what a new challenge for writing is? Finding time to stay in this dimension.

YChao- Define "this dimension".

Chao- Just that Chao has plenty of YGO fan fics coming in and out. And even though writing for this fic and others that had already been published, sometimes other ideas just come in faster than an anvil hitting a cartoon character.

YChao- In which case, that'll be you.

Chao- But sometimes writing needs to be forced upon while others is just easier to go when you got a swing to it rather than traveling from one dimension to another. Please review


	13. Prank Wars and Sleepovers Part 2

Chao- Since a few of the past chapters had focused on Yugi, we'll just go ahead and switch back to Yami. Yay Yami torture!

"Talking"

"_Thinking_."

**Chapter 13: Prank Wars and Sleepovers Part 2**

Stretching his body while standing on his toes in his white socks, Yami reached the top of the wooden bookshelf with a feather duster adorned with a yellow handle and a brown, feathery top. He kept one hand on a lower, tidy shelf to lean against and support his weight. He had spent the late morning dusting off tables, window blinds, TV screens, and anywhere else easily brushed off grime had built. He acted his duty careful so he would not knock down any important knickknacks, like kooky clocks or strange flowerpots with unique designs. Lowering himself down, he scrunched his tingling nose as dust snowed on him.

"Achoo!"

Taking his free hand, he rubbed his nose with his finger.

"I've been sneezing plenty this morning." he mumbled to himself.

He walked towards a dark green box of tissues and removed a thin, white sheet. Closing his eyes, he blew into one. Scrunching the used tissue into his hand, he turned his attention towards the TV. On screen he heard a fight between a samurai and a group of field robbers. He decided to take a break and watch the actor with the sword fly through the air with visible wires.

A rubber sword plunged into a man, and he squeezed a button connected to a tube that squirted a very watery red liquid. When the other bandits were hit, they yelled like injured animals as they attempted to keep their time on screen noticeable. Once the band of villains had been defeated, the strange warrior stood proudly as the wind blew his long, black hair with the sun setting beyond the hills.

"How can we ever thank you!" cried a gratified woman wearing a pink kimono.

The mysterious swordsman gave no reply. He only placed back his weapon into its hold, and walked away as the sun lowered itself among the dimming valley.

"Wow…" Yami remarked dully as the credits rolled up. Taking the grey remote control for the TV lying on top of the cushion, he pointed it towards the screen and pushed a giant red button on the top corner. The box of pictures turned off, and he returned back to work. He came to a cabinet covered in immense grime.

"…When was the last time anyone had cleaned _this_?" he mumbled to himself astounded. He recalled seeing cars zooming down streets encased in dark windows written with "Wash me" on them, some replying with "No" or other silly remarks and symbols. Grinning, he took his finger and designed a simple smiley face.

"Yami," Solomon called as he entered the room. "Have you finished dusting yet?"

"Almost." the spirit replied, expunging the rest the cabinet.

"Well, just finish up here and you can get ready."

"Get ready? For what?"

"Yugi and his friends are coming over."

"Yes, I suppose. They often do stop by after their classes had ended."

"But this time they had planned some fun, probably like going to the arcade and spending the night."

"They… have?"

"Oh, didn't Yugi tell you?"

Yami didn't reply; he changed his view towards the green carpet in silence. He had not been informed on any plans from his light and friends.

The old man smiled candidly, "He must have been busy planning something with his bonehead friends with good hearts, and didn't have a chance to mention it."

"Perhaps…" the adolescent appearing being whispered.

"You can start getting ready." the game store owner permitted, taking the feather duster.

Free to go about his business, Yami despondently headed towards the shower. He stripped himself from his refuse clothing and hopped into the shower. The handle squeaked as he turned it in a robotic routine, and the slightly cold water flew smoothly from the head. Allowing the water to pour over him, Yami grew lost in thought.

"_Yugi had not at all mentioned heading anywhere with anyone. He hadn't been speaking much to me about anything at all. Even when we were connected through the Puzzle, I did allow him privacy, but he had told me some thoughts and feelings about anything._"

He sighed heavily.

"_I hope I am not intruding on his life_."

Keeping his mind clouded with troubled emotions, he progressed through the process of washing his hair and body effortlessly. Stepping out of the shower, he wrapped a sand colored towel around his waist. He reached for a second one hanging from the same bar and dried off his dripping wet hair.

He absentmindedly lingered his way to Yugi's room. He opened the closet to see what was available. Picking out his typical black muscle shirt and dark blue pants, he began to change but felt odd in doing so. He felt more like a younger sibling playing tag-along, heading somewhere with a group only because a guardian had ordered it. He sat on the unkempt bed of unfolded blankets and asymmetrical pillow, and added a clean pair of black socks to his feet.

"_Would it be all right if I came along? Did Yugi plan anything that could include me? Or would he now need to rearrange his whole schedule _just _for me?_"

Ready to head outside with the others when they arrive, he gazed at the cluttered desk. On it laid the Puzzle that glistened from the sun. Thinking into the past where he and his light would swap places for games or if danger had lurked, Yami wondered if he was like a modern samurai, protecting those he cared about and then disappear after the fight concluded. The idea may appear heroic and romantic, but it was lonely. The warrior he watched on TV wheeled a katana and guarded the innocent, but he had no band of men to help lift his spirits.

Breaking into his deep recollections were the howls of merriment from the feral boys downstairs. The one that stuck out most was one belonging to the shortest of the clique, laughing straight from his happy heart. Yami closed his eyes and sighed. He trudged towards the door, regretting every step he took, taking his time down the steps, and slowly unveiling himself in the game store portion of the house. His violate irises fell onto a gathering of students in their school uniforms. He kept himself in the shadows, staying silent, seeing the adolescents in their original brawl as the school week had completed with a weekend to initiate. He felt if he walked in he would rippled the pleasant moment, like a finger tapping against glass water in a beautiful lake.

Although he continued to conceal himself among the darkness, a soft pair of amethyst eyes fell on him. A bright smile grew across an innocent face of a young teen. He brightly called out, "Hey, Yami!"

The other boys turned, seeing their friend had finally shown up. Yami stepped out from his shrouded spot and slowly made his way towards the crew, staying mute while holding on to his little smile for a greeting.

"Wow, Yami, it took you forever to get down here!" Yugi laughed brightly, endowing his friend a warm hug.

Slowly, the spirit returned the kind gesture. His light had uncovered him in the darkness, caring about his wellbeing and presence. He slowly spoke in a soft voice, "Welcome home."

Feeling something wrong, the small teen loosened his grip and looked up towards his other half perturbed. He asked with concern, "Is everything ok?"

Not wanting to disrupt his partner's fun, Yami replied quietly, "Yes, everything is fine."

Believing his other half executed a courageous face despite all the chaos they both had endured, Yugi lowered his eyes to the floor, ready to enact his plan, "So, um, listen Yami. I know things have been weird ever since we've gotten separated from each other. And I know it's been a little hard on us both since we don't know what's gonna happen…"

The former ruler nodded, listening to his light closely.

"But I think, we all do, think it would be ok if we did have a little fun." Yugi said as he looked up. He added with a small smile of innocent enjoyment, "Kinda like on our first day when we first got separated from each other."

A small, genial smile grew across Yami's face. Recalling that day, the two may have had walked around confused, but they also appreciated each other's company in a new fashion, one that involved them speaking to each other face to face like any normal person. Though many feats came along the way, each of the two had tried their best to handle the situation brought on by destiny or the Puzzle.

"That sounds like a terrific idea." Yami praised sincerely. "_Yugi is doing his best to see the bright side to this situation, just as he has always done. I'll need to do my best to see through this as well._"

"I'm glad you think so." Yugi smiled, happy about his compliment. "_Yami has been so strong for this. I need to be brave like him, too._"

"So, Yug, what did you have in mind for us to do today?" Joey asked as he brought himself forward.

Keeping his hands in his pockets, Tristan drew up an eyebrow, "Wait, you mean to tell us this whole thing was your idea and _you _don't know what we should do?"

"Well, what if we went to arcade and go from there?" Yugi suggested, believing that would be a convivial place to start.

"That works with me!" Joey agreed as he stretched his arms.

"Does that sound good to you, Yami?" Yugi asked kindly, curious if his surprise had worked. Yami smiled softly and nodded, "Yes, that will be fine."

"All right!" Joey cheered. "Let's get going!"

"Sure, right after I use the bathroom." Yugi remarked. He'd feel much safer using the house's rather than the stalls at the arcade.

Yami watched as his partner left the group with his warm smile still playing. He returned his attention towards the other two, glad to naturally be part of a party.

"So, Yami," Joey began cheerfully, "what have you been up to lately?"

"Only dusting the house and watching terrible samurai movies." Yami replied with a small chuckle.

"Yeah, those can be really awful to watch!" Joey laughed.

"Fighting movies are worse!" Tristan stepped in.

"But with samurai movies you got those plastic swords and fake blood scenes."

"Ok, true, but with fighting they always have those characters that hang in the air forever, and then you can clearly see the actors not really hitting the other guys."

Complying with both views, Yami added confidently, "Perhaps one idea we can agree on is both have plots that could benefit from a lot more work."

"True that!" the teen with shaggy gold hair grinned. "Anything else been going on? Ninja attacks? Rhinos rampaging though the living room? Little green men invading the backyard?"

"Well, yesterday Yugi flicked my nose for his prank." Yami informed, laughing at the childish antics.

"Really?" Joey questioned with an amused smile. A mischievous grin grew over his features as he became lost in thought.

The three boys chatted for a bit, discussing school, homework, and new videogames coming out. As the weight of the pharaoh's heart lifted, some chained him down. He noticed his partner had yet to return. Excusing himself to check in on Yugi, Yami wandered away from the store. He thought he heard someone call him, a voice belonging to someone who had released him from darkness countless times.

"Yugi?" Yami called as he looked around the hallway.

"I'm in the bathroom!" Yugi shouted from inside the closed room.

The spirit hoped his partner hadn't slipped on the ground and injured himself. He walked towards the locked door perplexed. He couldn't just pull down on the handle to a very private room, but a barrier stood between the two.

Unsure of what to do, Yami knocked cautiously, "Yugi? Is everything all right?"

"I need you to bring me some toilet paper!" Yugi yelled from inside, his voice echoing from the tiles.

"Um, all right, I'll be back." Yami replied, relieved to know all was well.

He strolled to a hallway closet and scanned the shelves, seeing bathroom towels, dusters, and a few bottles and sprayers of cleaning supplies. On the second shelf he picked up a white roll. Walking back towards the room with it in hand, he knocked on the door.

"Yugi, I have the-" before he could finish, the teen snatched the roll and quickly slammed the door.

Yami blinked in confusion and astonishment.

Xxx

"Geez, Yami," Yugi pestered, "you need to remember to refill the toilet paper."

"Sorry, but there was plenty when I last saw it." Yami defended, though he did sincerely mean his apology.

Without any more trouble, the group had arrived at the Spider Arcade as planned. The place was far too familiar with the bright flashes of the lights and roaring booms from the same machines. The smell of pizza and other goods lingered heavily, accompanied with sticky floors. An endless number of people swarmed all around, mainly around their age, ready for fun after working so hard and goofing off in school.

"Then at least remember to leave a roll in the bathroom." Yugi sighed, unsure of what he would have done.

"Relax, Yug!" Joey laughed, holding two cups of water in both hands. "It happens to all of us! Now take a drink a water to cool off."

Yugi accepted the small, clear cup and sighed. He didn't intend for himself to grow aggravated and scold his friend, but he desperately needed toilet paper. He brought the cup to his mouth and took a large gulp. As soon as the water touched his tongue, he shot open his eyes and spat his beverage out.

"This tastes nasty!" he repined.

"That's because I put lemon in it!" Joey grinned in triumph. "You know, for flavor!"

"Yuck!"

As his partner continued making faces, Yami sipped his own cup. He discovered it tasted different from his usual cup of water, but he liked it.

"So, Yami," Joey asked with anticipating curiosity, "how's your drink?"

"It's perfectly fine to me." Yami smiled.

"Aw, man!" the blonde whined.

"Yep," Tristan nodded unimpressed. "Seems your _brilliant _plan backfired."

Yugi wiped away the remains of his tainted drink off himself. Having plenty experience in the practical joke category, typically at the receiving end, he questioned in an intrusive voice, "Are we just gonna stand around all day just doing this?"

"Maybe." Joey grinned.

"Was adding lemon to my drink part of the _brilliant _plan?" Yami asked analytically. "I'm sure you placed plenty of thought into something so complicated."

"Relax," Joey japed heartily. "Some of these are very easy. No harm to anyone at all."

"Yep." Tristan agreed. "Just like this."

The brunette dug into his own cup and dropped a few ice cubes down his friend's shirt. The blonde yelped from the cold, shaking himself around to rid himself of the frozen cubes. Yami smiled at seeing Joey dance like he was playing a game. Keeping his stance, he looked at Yugi, and saw his light tried to conceal his mirth.

"I think it's time we play some games now." Yugi insisted, trying to keep a straight face. Yami nodded in agreement, ready to play what his light had planned.

Dismissing the high jinx for even more fun, the boys headed for the machines, playing various racecars, martial arts, hunting down aliens, and even stroking the touch screens for the latest ones available. The other three boys watched in awe as Yami played a game of chess against a computer on its hardest mode available. The pieces moved flawlessly as the former ruler brushed his fingers for each move. The crew praised him widely when he won.

Joey and Tristan played as a team from a pair of guns connected to a zombie game. The screen splattered as guts exploded.

"Nice hit!" Yugi complimented sincerely. "You guys had a really good strategy for this."

"It isn't just random shooting." Tristan affirmed as he held his plastic weapon proudly. "It's all about finding a way to kill your enemy without wasting bullets."

"And then there's always the fun of shooting those dumb zombies!" Joey smirked in victory.

"I guess if there's ever a zombie apocalypse I'd be ok with you guys on my team." Yugi smiled.

Placing their guns into the fixed spot, Tristan asked, "So what next?"

Joey was about to propose a new game when he spotted his small friend staring down at the ground.

"Yo, Yug," he called concerned. "You hadn't played a single round all day. Everything ok?"

"Oh, yeah," Yugi smiled nervously. "I'm just a little short on money… But it's ok! I don't mind watching."

Yami noticed a little dismay clouding in the back of his light's eyes. He could see how much the boy yearned to mash the colorful buttons to control tiny spaceships zooming in space or martial arts characters jumping on screen and defeat his friends or computer opponent. He did not know how Yugi could be low on money other than spending it on junk food; he had not seen Yugi purchase any games from the family store like he had done back to when he was in the Puzzle.

"Yugi, if you'd like, I can spare a few coins for you to play." he insisted earnestly.

"No, really, I'm ok." Yugi brushed off lightly.

"I honestly wouldn't mind." Yami urged wholeheartedly. "I know I help around the house, but this could be another way to repay my debt."

"But, Yami-" Yugi was about to speak when Joey stepped in with a cheerful tone, "Yug, I don't think it'd be bad if Yami paid for a few games. He's already mooched off you when you guys when he was in the Puzzle!"

Yami kept his focus on his partner, understanding the blonde student was only joking.

Yugi turned quiet, remembering the conversation he already had with his darker half involving money. He smiled a tiny one, "I guess one or two games won't hurt."

Accepting a prepaid token, he placed the worn out copper colored coin into a slot. Keeping his eyes on screen, he mashed his buttons and rotated the control stick as he guided a submarine out of underwater volcanoes and shooting down giant mutant sharks and octopi while on the search for hidden treasure. He had to properly time his boosting power while carefully employing his limited torpedoes to shoot down the enemy until he could obtain more.

"You handled the colossal squid very nicely." Yami praised at the end of the game.

"I'm happy that sperm whale helped me out." Yugi laughed.

"Some of these graphics are pretty good." Tristan noted.

"Even that slimy squid looked real!" Joey shuddered.

"Yeah, really." Yugi agreed. "I think I'm ready to take a break now."

Everyone sat at a vacant table with a red tabletop. Joey inhaled his hot slice of pepperoni and sausage pizza as Tristan munched on his warm, cinnamon pretzel. Yami shared a box of nachos with Yugi, who reached for a paper napkin to clean off his cheesy fingers.

Yami was very glad he could spend a fun afternoon with friends. Lifting one arm into the air, he stretched happily. He paused upon hearing an odd pop originating from his shoulder. The group stopped their chatter to stare. Yami lowered his arm back down slightly embarrassed from the noise.

"That was awesome!" Joey praised candidly. Yami looked over at his blonde friend confused.

"Yeah," Tristan agreed, lifting up his cup. "That looked like that hit the spot."

Yami smiled at the compliments his received. Yugi, on the other hand, was opposed to the subject.

"Don't teach Yami those disgusting tricks!" he whined.

"Wow, Yug," Joey remarked dully as he fixed his arms over his chest, "it's a good thing Tea ain't here with us now. We seriously need to put you in more guy time stat!"

"Guy time?" Yugi and Yami echoed at the same time.

"Check this out!" Joey smirked, lacing together and spreading out his fingers.

"Is that all you got?" Tristan proudly challenged. He turned his neck and enacted more crackling noises.

Yugi at once plugged his ears revolted and turned away. Yami chuckled once again, jovial to have fun with others in tormenting his partner in an easy fashion. But not wanting to overwork Yugi, he insisted to the others, "I think it'd be fine if we returned to playing videogames now."

He grabbed his partner's arms and placed them down, removing the boy's hands from his ears. Yugi unlocked his tightened eyes and glanced at his darker half. Seeing everyone moving, he stood to his feet as well. He was brightened Yami was still around even after being separated from some time.

Grateful nothing bad has happened when something usually does, Yugi said quietly, "I know Tea isn't here with us now, but spending some time with you all would be nice."

"Let's party the night away!" Joey decreed in joy.

The clique returned to the bulky machines and played. Yami did not know what else his partner had planned for the day. He decided to only follow along, giving the boy a chance to be the leader.

"What else should we do?" Tristan asked after everyone had spent a token or two in nearly every game available.

"Um… what if we went back to my place and watched a few movies?" Yugi suggested for a change of scenery.

"We do have a few bags of popcorn." Yami added, wanting to help out.

"Sounds like a good idea!" Joey exclaimed.

The teens left the arcade with the fresh activity on mind.

"Speaking of movies," Joey brought up as the boys ventured out from the arcade. "We were talking about them before we came here."

"Does it beat watching daytime TV and kiddie shows?" Yugi asked his partner.

"Only by half a star." Yami replied confidently, implementing the system of rating movies.

"What kind are we watching?" Joey asked.

"Um… What kind should we see?" Yugi placed out into the open for discussion.

"How about something funny!" Joey pushed.

"With plenty of action!" Tristan recommended.

"I wouldn't mind seeing a film where the main character at least has _some _common sense." Yami pressed, hoping his opinion wouldn't be viewed as pushy.

"Let's see…" Yugi pondered, trying his best to take in all desires. "I'm not sure if we have anything like that."

"We could always rent a movie." Joey advocated. "Tristan's got one of them membership cards."

"Would you mind?" Yugi questioned sincerely.

"I wouldn't mind renting one out." the teen with brown haired nodded. "I got enough points to rent one for free."

The boys walked over in front of a busy convenient store. While Joey and Tristan looked through the options in front of the building, Yugi and Yami went inside to pick up a few candies and sodas. Each boy exited the store with a bag in hand.

"What kind did you get?" Yugi asked as he tried to look at the cover.

"You'll see!" Joey replied excitedly, holding it out of view. "It's a surprise!"

"Um… ok." Yugi nodded.

The teens hurriedly made their way back to the game store. Yami felt a little odd returning; he usually would stay inside cleaning or performing other household chores. He hoped the store owner abided through today without any problems. But he was glad he had stretched his legs and enjoyed a fun afternoon with good friends.

Yugi cheerfully greeted his grandparent and explained the next activity to his relative before leading everyone to the den of the house. Yami and his light took out the snacks and spread them out on the coffee table as the other two secretly placed in the mysterious DVD. The smallest member of the group turned off the lights as all settled in. Joey sat on the green recliner as Tristan took his place on another single couch. Yami and Yugi sat together on the brown sofa. Yami's heart pumped with anticipation as Yugi fooled around with the grey DVD remote to respond. The spirit enjoyed watching films almost as he did reading. An advantage to watching a movie was one could enjoy it with a friend, while reading could be shared but was best as a solo leisure. His slanted eyes gazed down towards the glass table, and he observed the film's cover displayed a heroic leader with undead bodies in the background. In a review in small letters was an explanation that the movie was based on a book.

"_Maybe I can find the book and read it if the movie is entertaining_." Yami thought to himself.

The motion picture's introduction was very smooth. Although the plot did involve the main character surviving against incorporeal beings, the genre involved plenty of humor, pointing out many flaws typical zombie films held, but was done in an intellectual manner. The chosen cinema had satisfied everyone's preferences. Yami grew impressed that for a parody the plot seemed well thought out and the actors truly did appear as the characters and not as themselves acting out a character. The effects were also outstanding. Some sections drew out the intensity, such as the protagonist surveying an abandoned house for enemies, but the overall tone was uplifting. The ending, however, left viewers pondering if a sequel was to be made as the hero reunited with his companions.

Rotating his pupils to the side, Yami saw Yugi staring deeply into the screen, completely unaware of his surroundings as he engulfed his entire mind into the movie as the credits displayed extra scenes with eerie music playing. Slowly, he lifted his finger and gently tapped the young boy on his shoulder.

"AAAHHH!" Yugi screamed as he sprung off his seat. With his heart racing, he looked down at Yami, who chuckled in amusement.

"You scared me." Yugi exhaled sharply, trying to lower his heart rate.

"Sorry about that." Yami laughed. "But I couldn't resist."

"That's what great films will do to you." Tristan smirked. He stood up and turned on the lights. "We thought this would be great since this movie was known for its good graphics. Right, Joey?"

The group turned to see what their clown of a friend had to say. On the recliner sat the blonde in a complete mesmerized state. Though the comedy did brighten up a typically horrified genre, Joey was one who was never fond of anything in the supernatural realm.

"Are we to watch another movie?" Yami asked after everyone stared at the slow-witted teen for a few minutes.

"Maybe we should play a few games upstairs?" Yugi proposed, not wanting to place Joey in anymore mental trouble.

"Sure." Tristan nodded, not caring his friend had landed in a coma of fear. He bent himself towards the table and mumbled, "And if he's not gonna have his snack-"

"Get your slimy hand off my snacks!" Joey warned, having snatched his friend's wrist.

"Or what!" Tristan questioned unafraid.

"I'll break every bone in that hand!"

"You don't even know how many bones are in a single hand!"

"I don't have to! I'll just go with how many cracks I hear beneath!"

Ignoring the argument and threats, Yami turned to his partner and asked, "So what are we to do next?"

"I guess you and me can see what board games we have." Yugi said as he stood up from the couch.

Yami nodded, and the two boys left their friends fighting over junk food with no winner in sight. They walked together to the closet where a few of the board games were stored. A few were brought down and examined, debating whether the field was a free-for-all or teams. Deciding to just take a few each, the two came to Yugi's room and settled the options down on the ground after moving around clothing and other toys. Yami knelt on the carpet and arranged the boards in a style that could easily be analyzed before deciding.

He grew surprised to hear, "Are you having fun?"

He looked up and saw his partner, who had addressed the question directly to him. Taking into account of the events so far, he smiled animated, "Of course I am."

"That's good." Yugi replied quietly as he shifted his gaze back down.

"Are you having a good time?" Yami asked back, sincerely seeking for an answer.

"Yeah…" Yugi replied truthfully. "I mean, I think it's nice that we can spend time together with our friends."

"I agree." Yami smiled. Yugi smiled back.

"So here's where the party moved to!" Joey greeted as he and Tristan entered.

"Yup." Yugi nodded. "See any games you guys want to play?"

The two taller boys searched through what was available, debating which would be the best choice to start off with.

"Wasn't there a few more?" Joey asked. "Remember that one game we played with you, me, Tristan, and Tea a few months ago?"

"Oh! I know what you're talking about!" Yugi exclaimed happily. The best part about the game that had been mentioned was that no real winner was necessary to play; a reason why it was very enjoyable among a close group. "I think it's still in the closet, though."

He was about to step up when Yami was up all the way. He eyed the spirit as he advanced to the door. He stood up and called, "Yami? Where are you going?"

"It's all right." Yami insisted. "I'll go and retrieve it."

Yugi watched his darker half leave. He closed his eyes and sighed, hoping all has been well for the spirit, who now had his own body.

"So, Yug, has everything been ok?" Joey asked, picking up a little sadness growing in his small buddy's heart.

"Well, are you guys having fun so far?" Yugi asked genuinely.

"Of course we are!" Joey exclaimed truthfully with Tristan nodding.

The blonde continued to study his pal, noticing Yugi had been honestly happy but continued to falter into a remorse state. Taking charge to truly portray a well-deserved vacation, Joey said, "So, Yug, I know it may still be hard with the way things are right now, but I think there's something we can do to help cheer you both up."

"You think so?" Yugi asked. Though he did not wish to place his troubled emotions on anyone, he was grateful his friends wanted to help him out.

"Why don't we play a little prank on Yami?" Joey suggested.

"But wouldn't that be mean?" Yugi questioned, concerned for his darker half's wellbeing.

"It wouldn't be mean." Tristan tried to persuade. "It's just a way to give a laugh."

"Besides," Joey added with a delighted chuckle, "Yami already told us you flicked his nose the other day."

Yugi thought back to his little joke. He couldn't believe his spontaneous plan had worked. Plus, on the bright side, Yami did have a laugh.

"Ok." Yugi finally agreed.

"Great!" Tristan cheered.

"And I know what we can do!" Joey insisted.

He silently led the other two boys to where the party supplies were kept after he had been told of their location. He grabbed a red paper cup with a white rim on top and a miniscule bag of confetti. He requested his small buddy to place the colorful paper sprinkles into the cup. Yugi obliged, wondering what would happen next. Once the first step was completed, Joey led the pair back to their room. Joey slightly closed the door while Tristan placed it on top.

"Ok, Yug," the blonde instructed, "just call Yami over here."

The tiny adolescent couldn't shield his enjoyment. He was happy he hid himself behind a barrier until the job was done. Clearing his throat and taking a breath, Yugi called as evenly pace as he could, "Yami! Can you come over here!"

After grabbing the voted game, the spirit heard his name. He walked to his partner's bedroom to see what else they needed. He pushed the ajar door all the way open, and he was greeted with a small splash of confetti. Confused, Yami examined his black shirt covered in bright colors of tiny circles as the room filled with laughter. He changed his view to his friends and observed the joyful atmosphere, similar to the incidents that occurred earlier at the arcade. Brushing aside him being the victim, he knelt down to the floor with the chosen game. As Joey and Tristan took out the pieces and placed them together, he glanced towards Yugi. Before he could speak, a tickle formed in his throat.

"I need some water." Yami announced as he stood back up. He left the group before the match between the other two students could start.

He hiked down the steps, passed the den, and came to the empty kitchen. He cleared his throat as he reached for a clear glass in a cupboard. He scooped up some ice from the freezer, and then grabbed a plastic pitcher of purified water. After pouring in the cold water, he took a few, slow sips. The liquid cured him of his small tickle, but he reminded himself to see if any lemons were available for next time.

"Are you boys having fun upstairs?" Solomon asked as he entered.

Yami removed the cup from his mouth and smiled, "Are we making too much noise?"

"Enough to have shaken this house." the old man joked. He then noticed something on the young adult's clothing. "What do you have on your shirt? Is that confetti?"

"Yes, Yugi and everyone decided to play a little prank on me."

"Oh, I see." Solomon replied, displaying his small amount of amusement. "What did you boy's want for dinner?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could make something special for dinner tonight."

"What did you have in mind?" Solomon questioned with interest.

Xxx

Upstairs in Yugi's room the three teens enthralled in another bored game after Yami had disappeared. The adolescent with tri-color hair played well but grew worried about his other self. As the fun continued, he drew his eyes to the Puzzle, knowing how Yami would retreat back there when he wanted to be left alone. He hoped his friend didn't feel smother by all these activities.

"Ha! I got you this time!" Joey smirked with glee.

"I don't think so!" Tristan retorted proudly.

The group was interrupted from their mind set.

"Boys!" Solomon called from down the steps. "Dinner's ready!"

"All right!" the two tall teens yelled with joy at the same time. "Food!"

Yugi was not too far behind his friends, who sprinted out of his room and down the stairs right into the kitchen. All three gasped when they eyes laid over at the table. Right in the center stood a stack of pancakes with more coming up.

"Yay!" Joey and Tristan shouted happily. "Breakfast for dinner!"

They at once sat at the table, reached for their own stack, and gobbled down as much food as they could. With their long arms, they reached over for their glasses of juice and milk to wash down the round starches.

Yugi took his seat on the available chair not already claimed by a plate or glass. Before he had the chance to sit all the way, he immediately bolted right back up and yelped out, "Cold!"

He looked at his seat and noticed a few coins had been placed there. As the room filled with laughter, Yugi examined the round metal, feeling they were far below room temperature. He gazed up and saw his grandpa and Yami smirking in triumph.

"Ok, you got me." Yugi admitted, removing the metallic money from his seat.

The men gleefully ate away at their meals. Yami smiled as he used his fork to cut up his own stack into bite size pieces. He had a little help from the game store owner to pull a prank on Yugi; by the time the food was ready, so were the coins that had lied in the freezer. He was glad the joke had worked, and it was one that did not give anyone hard feelings.

"What a great meal for a great day!" Joey proudly declared.

"I can see my cooking has received a positive review from Joey." Yami smiled.

"But this _is _coming from someone who'll eat anything." Tristan remarked.

Joey was about to speak when he kept quiet. His scruffy brain, instead, tried to hatch a new tomfoolery he could pull off on his longtime companion.

"I'm glad my pancakes weren't burnt." Yugi smiled, finishing his cup of orange juice. He glanced towards his partner and was happy Yami seemed to have truly enjoyed himself so far. The spirit felt the same way.

Once the meal had been finished, everyone cleaned up their mess. Joey quickly left the table in search for the restroom. He came back to the kitchen stuffing something into his pocket.

"Did you expect us to clean up after you?" Tristan remarked unhappy.

"Can't a guy have some private time in the bathroom!" the blonde protested. "But if it'll please you so much, I'll do your plate, too."

"I won't argue with that." the brunette agreed. He handed his plate and excused himself to the same room.

Because the old man had finished cleaning up first, he told the group in a cheerful tone, "Don't get too crazy with whatever else you boys do tonight."

"You can trust us." Joey grinned as he quickly washed off both plates.

"Ok." Yugi promised as Yami nodded. Solomon left the room so the teens could continue with their fun as he retired to his bedroom.

As Yugi and Yami rinsed off their own mess, Joey made his way to the pantry. He pulled out a box of chocolate cookies with crème filling. From his pocket he pulled out a miniscule tube of white toothpaste. He set the box on the table and pulled out one cookie. He tried to separate the treats, but each one crumpled in some fashion.

"What are you doing, Joey?" Yugi asked as he walked over. "Are you still hungry?"

"It wouldn't be a problem to make more pancakes if you still are." Yami offered.

"I'm not having a dessert." Joey explained, frustrated he broke another cookie. "I'm trying to pull off a prank before Tristan gets back."

"Really?" Yugi questioned. "What are you trying to do?"

"I need to get a filling out of a cookie and replace it with toothpaste. Then I'm gonna stack the top and bottom back together once the toothpaste is in."

"Oh, I see." Yugi replied. He looked at the table and saw his friend had already tried about four to five times, each one being unsuccessful.

"Yugi, maybe you can help out." Yami suggested. "You sometimes eat the crème filling first before the other parts when you come home from school."

"Um…" Yugi trailed off as Joey interrupted with excitement, "Would you! I can't seem to get this!"

"I guess." the small teen smiled.

He grabbed a fresh cookie and slowly twisted one of the sides. He then carefully pulled it apart, one side cleared while the other maintained the filling. He placed the empty side down on the table and gingerly peeled off the white fluff.

"You can have the frosting crème." Joey insisted. "I just need the two ends."

"Ok." Yugi nodded. He happily gobbled down the sweet crème.

Yami chuckled seeing his light. He changed his view to Joey, and watched in amusement as his friend craftily squeezed a pea sized amount of toothpaste in between. The teen with brown eyes twisted the top portion back together. He also stuffed the toothpaste tube back into his pocket to hide his plan. He grinned with delight when his trap was set.

Wanting to satisfy his sudden craving, Yugi casually reached for another cookie. Yami decided to have one as well. The two munched away on their dessert while waiting to see what would happen next. They turned when they spotted their brunette friend had returned.

"Hey, man, pass me one of those cookies." Tristan said after seeing the box.

"I dunno." Joey smiled. "You haven't brushed your teeth yet, have you? It's almost your bedtime, after all."

The teen with brunette hair glared at his friend. Joey laughed and picked up a cookie casually placed by the box, "Here, you can have this one."

Tristan accepted the junk food. Yugi and Yami watched anxiously, trying to cover their giggles. Once he bit into it, he at once gagged.

"Are these expired or something!" he shouted repulsed.

"They probably _would _taste gross if they had toothpaste in them!" Joey howled in amusement. "At least now you don't have to worry about brushing your teeth!"

Yami and Yugi laughed along as well.

"You better sleep with one eye open tonight." Tristan threatened towards his old friend.

"I'm so scared!" Joey snickered.

To avoid a death match and disturbing his grandparent, Yugi recommended the gang move back to the den to either watch another movie or just some simple TV. After flipping through the available channels, the group spent the early night watching parody movies and terrible reality shows. But once when all appeared on screen were long commercials and religious preachers, the crew decided to head to bed on a good note.

They each took turns brushing their teeth and completing other preparations. Since the party began right after school, the boys wearing their school uniforms only removed the jacket so they could be more comfortable. Because the house was filled with more guests, Yugi and Yami agreed to sleep on the floor in the den. They placed their dark blue sleeping bags with red plaid linings they retreated from the hallway closet next to each other. They also quietly had to find extra pillows and blankets.

"So, are we telling any ghost stories tonight?" Joey grinned. He became surprised a dirty sock flew into his face. "Hey!"

"We don't need you to scream and wake up the neighbors if we do that." Tristan mocked half serious.

"I think it'd be best if we just went to sleep instead." Yugi urged, not in a true mood for anything terrifying, even if the tale was fictional.

"Ok, fine." Joey grumbled as he positioned himself into a comfortable position, ignoring a possible sock war that could have easily occurred.

"Good night, guys." Yugi wished with a smile as everyone at last settled down.

Surprisingly enough, Joey and Tristan were the first to fall off into sleep. Yami, meanwhile, placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes lost in thought. The floor may not have been as comfortable as the couch, but he was ecstatic he at last spent a night next to his light since they usually spent the late hours in individual rooms. Although he didn't expect the day to hold anything particularly special when he first awoke, he was glad today proceeded well.

Hearing an odd sound next to him, he opened his eyes and saw Yugi had left his resting place. Sitting up, he spotted the young boy fiddling around with the thermostat on a wall. He then heard a tiny roar of air as the A/C came on, cooling down the slightly warm room. He smiled gently as his light returned to his makeshift bed. The young adolescent took his seat and stretched his arms.

"Will you be disgusted if you hear a pop?" the former ruler teased quietly.

"Good night, Yami." Yugi replied as he ignored his pal's playful badgering.

"Good night, Yugi." Yami responded back gently.

He soundlessly lowered himself down. He stayed awake a little while longer as his partner drifted off into sleep. He wanted to take some time to appreciate and reflect the fun he had with everyone. He was pretty pleased he didn't have to spend time locked away in the home or Puzzle, but he would have been fine just to be around Yugi, even if it meant staying in a transpired state. He smiled once more thinking back to how he was openly invited to join the party, not because he was someone who temporarily lived in the same home as the teen.

Hearing the sound of the sleeping bags crumpling, he turned his head, seeing Yugi had flipped himself to his side. His childlike features appeared younger than they already were mistaken for as he faced his friend. Yami thought back to all the childish pranks that happened, and he was delighted his other half had viewed the situation in a positive fashion. He even had his own hand in helping out. The formal ruler was also glad the boy didn't take any jokes his way negatively. The boy had always tried his best to see a bright side even in unfavorable situations.

Soon a new thought came into Yami's mind.

Yugi had forgone his own safety while flames surrounded him in the abandoned warehouse. Recalling that terrible day thrashed a terrifying shudder down Yami's spine. Despite sharing a body for quite some time, he could never fully grasp the purity that lied in his friend's heart.

"_He's done so much for me. He even planned an entire event because he wanted both of us to enjoy ourselves through this hard time… Have I truly offered him anything in return?_"

Looking around, he felt a new sensation in his heart. He was surrounded by those who truly cared about him. Although the comfort and alliance from the other teens took some time, a strong bond existed between him and everyone else. The clique opened themselves to hanging out with the old pharaoh, while the store owner of the Turtle Game Store endowed him work and provided shelter and food.

Touched by all that he now had, he deeply believed none of his possession of gratitude would be available without the help of Yugi.

"_What am I to do without him by my side? Will he live out his destiny without me? Am I to go on without him?_"

Reaching his hand over, he softly clasped his light's wrist. Yugi continued to sleep without any disruption, his young mind peacefully strolling through dream land. Yami could see the young boy rested well after such an exciting day of acting like everyday adolescents.

"_Although I may not know what may happen in the future, I can at least hope the two of us can strive through this together… As we have always done…_"

Feeling safe, Yami closed his eyes and went to sleep.

**To be continued…**

Chao- Reviews and flames are welcome.

YChao- Flames? That's a first.

Chao- Well, they normally get ignored, but-

YChao- Considering you chose not to update anything for a LONG time, you did not place any statuses for anything anywhere, and then you didn't do much in your account at the time-

Chao- Yes, yes. Anyway, reviews and flames are welcome.


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